Packaged and ready

Kanika Goswami finds out about the latest in travel baggage in India

Whether it is a lady or a gentleman, the essential travel bags remain the same, perhaps the colour preferences change slightly. That apart, basically three types of luggage are available in India today. There are leather products, both branded and unbranded. Brands like Hidesign have an outstanding product range in this category and a newer brand is La Salle, with an equally stunning range. Then there is soft luggage in which Samsonite takes the accolades, with their sleek, premium looks. And finally, in the moulded luggage category, VIP seems to be on the front seat, which is not surprising, considering their very practical designs, useful both for all medium of travel .

Hidesign claims they tan their leather by the “time honoured traditional methods of soaking the hides for 40 days in extracts of bark and seeds collected from the forest of Africa and India. Only after these vegetable extracts have been fully absorbed are vegetable oils applied to make the hide supple. Thereafter each hide is hand rubbed with aniline dyes, leaving the grain visible, enhancing the strength and beauty gained from the vegetable tanning process and giving the product a strong natural look, as subtle and pleasing as stained oak.”

Their product range is good looking to say the least. For the bag's body, only solid brass buckles are used, in the old saddler traditions. The range is divided into travel bags, briefcases and handbags. The designs have been divided into the Origin range, Etrusca, Classics and Casuals. Etrusca is made with Italian leather and is the premium range. Computer bags and business carry bags also come in similar ranges and the premium product is travel bags with trolleys, which doubles up as a computer bag and an overnighter, the Cornwall, which is really a treasure to buy.

Hidesign has a vast range, the prices are anything from Rs 3,295 up to Rs 6,995. The leather is regular or ranch quality, and the price difference, on an average is about ten per cent, ranch being the premier quality. The colours of bags available across all models are largely black, brown and tan colours. A new addition to their range is the Willow collection, that offers ladies handbags and also travel bags for the business/travelling businesswoman in two very feminine colours, toffee and red (tan and brown being considered too masculine, one might assume). These handbags are also beautifully designed, well turned out and in the range of Rs 1,395 to Rs 2,395 .

La Salle has a similarly well designed range in leather travel bags and hand bags. Their bags come in various travel friendly styles - Ziptops, Flapovers and Wheelports, apart from other office accessories that can be fitted inside these bags.

The main features of Ziptops apart from premium quality is their expandability to carry larger volumes, computer compatibility and roller board compatibility (when required). This essentially means that these travel bags can double as computer bags and overnighters too.
The Flapovers are in very traditional but chic designs. This range also has the La Salle Diva collection, designed for ladies.

The LaSalle Wheelports boast of functional designs that are computer compatible, in addition to meeting IATA cabin baggage standards and having telescopic handles with in-line skate wheels. These features make them very convenient for short duration long distance travel.

La Salle is available in almost all retail stores and better known malls like Shoppers Stop, LifeStyle, Bombay Store, Taj Khazana, Saga, Oberoi Shopping Centre Hide Park, The New Oberoi Elegant, Akbarallys in Mumbai itself.

Coming to soft baggage, Samsonite is one of the best brands in the market today. The Spark series carries an entire collection of suitcases, garment bags, duffle bags, uprights, beauty cases, even a toilet kit. The colours available are black, blue and green. The two-four track suitcases boast of four wheels for towing on smooth surfaces and two wheels for rough surfaces. They are made from tough polyester and are difficult to destroy or cut through, unless deliberately. The Accent series offers almost the same range, and an upright double framed bag, with in-line skate wheels for smooth rolling.

The Base Hits, Samsonite claims, are a `hassle free' experience, they have more space than one can see and their prices too are no fuss. The colors are an interesting range - navy, black and hunter grey colours (the last is more like military green or rather olive colour).

From their well-known American Tourister series, Samsonite offers the Meridian 275 series made of polyester fabric with piping protection along the angles. This range is available in black, royal blue and metallic grey colours. In the soft range, another set available is the Basic II 150 series, offering uprights of sizes 50 cms to 90 cms height, suitcases, convenient U shaped duffels and even wheeled duffels.

VIP is the brand of luggage most of us have grown up with, the suitcase that never opens the wrong way, the handles that never give away at wrong times, the luggage that is never an embarrassment to its owner. Evidently, this is the brand an average Indian can conveniently travel with in trains as well as by air. The models are the Atlantis range with Europa, Silver and Deluxe, offering more space with a body of very strong nylon material. VIP also offers cabin baggage in Atlantis range, baggage with two compartments and one has a choice between black, olive green and blue colours. The softest material, however, comes in Oxford, in three colours - red, blue and black and two pockets.

The Atlantis Deluxe range has been designed with the premium segment of the market in mind. It is vertical (upright) luggage available in three sizes and three colours – blue, black and green. Another new model that is selling very well is the Tuxedo range, made of pew, a leather look-alike that boasts of as much durability and beauty too. This range has lap top cases and duffel bags.

Pegasus, their latest cabin size trolley range comes in two colours, beige and black while Lynx, is another latest in the travel bag range. Its beauty comes from its weave, a two thread design, that can be seen to show different colours as the angle of perception is changed. It comes in two lovely combinations, green/grey and green/gold. This is the beauty of the pack.

In the hard baggage range, both VIP and Samsonite have a lot to offer. India's first hard suitcase was launched by VIP in 1971. At present, VIP has Elanza, a premium quality suitcase with deep shell and combination locks. The uprights in hard shell is Skates, available in 31", which means it is very spacious. The Skate Spinner can spin 360 degrees on its wheels.

Breeze range of moulded luggage comes in lovely pastel shades and has wheels with ball bearings designed to ensure a smooth tug along. For business briefcases, VIP has on offer their vertical briefcases range in diamond grained ABS finish, available in black, silver and grey.

The VIP Satchels is another new offering that is computer compatible in most cases while e-Strolley is a laptop compatible office on the move as well as an overnighter. It is in stylish black nylon material and the price is pretty stylish too!

The latest, however, from VIP is Viper, the leather collection for carrying laptops, available in black and tan colours and definitely the happening thing.

Samsonite's hard luggage the 550 series Epsilon with polypropylene shells and central combination locks is available in three colours, Mare (more likely green,) Nero (like black) and Cielo ( navy blue). Other interesting series are the Oyster, Suiter, Comfort and Suitor series, which largely look alike but the Comfort is fitted with a net divider pad. The System IV deluxe ensures style at a price while series System IV is only slightly less.

A very exclusive brand is Hideout catering largely to ladies. The range is limited, so are designs, but then, it is exclusive. Their Tote Bags and overnighters are what women of style like to carry while on the move. The material is usually canvas or jute with Italian leather trimmings but it is the designs that get the appreciation. These bags cost between Rs. 950 and Rs. 1350. The colours are mostly beige and brown in jute while the canvas bags are military green, navy blue, rust and white. The bags are sold from the Studio Hideout as well as the Bombay Store and Contemporary Arts and Crafts Society in Mumbai.

These are largely the bags and latest models available in the Indian market, but the range is ever expanding, each claiming better products, a classic tongue in cheek example being Hidesigns's tagline for laptop cases - `Laptop bags can be boring or they can be Hidesign" similarly, one can say, 'soft luggage can be ugly, or it can be Samsonite".

The TAG Hidesign Travel bags Rs 3,795-Rs 7,495 Business & Computer Bags Rs 3,695-Rs 5,795 Haversacks Rs 3,495-Rs 4,595 Computer bag cum overnighter on wheels Rs 5,995 Trolley Bags Rs 5,695-Rs 6,995 La Salle Ziptop Portfolios Rs 2,625-Rs 5,050 Flapover Folios Rs 2,625-Rs 4,950 Computer Compatibles Rs 3,500 Wheelports Rs 5,500-Rs 7,400 Samsonite Hard Luggage Rs 1,255-Rs 6,450 Soft Luggage Rs 230-Rs 4,825 VIP Hard Luggage Rs 1,550 to Rs 3,290 Soft Luggage Rs 995-Rs 3,745 Satchels Rs 1,995-Rs 3,995 Trolley Rs 3,750-Rs 3,990 Tuxedo Rs 2,795-Rs 5,495	LaSalle Wheelport RF71785 Rs 7,375 Hidesign Classic range Carlye Rs 4,995 Samsonite System IV series Rs 2,540-Rs 5,325 Samsonite American Tourister Promo 250 series Rs 990-Rs 1,850