Away's Café Edit: Travel Refined, European Café Inspired
Grind, brew, pack, and go - Retail Diary takes a closer look at the strategy behind Away, constant newness being served, and travel & packing inspiration from CEO and Co-Founder Jen Rubio.
Away's Café Edit
Away's Strategic Evolution: Collaborations, Collections, and the Café Edit
In the ever-changing landscape of travel, fashion and running a retail business, Away continues to stand out with its dynamic approach to product development and brand partnerships. The company's strategy of regular collaborations and limited-edition collections has proven to be more than just a marketing tactic—it's a way of staying relevant and connected to their diverse customer base. Today Away launches their Café Edit.
Take, for instance, their recent collaboration with Eckhaus Latta during New York Fashion Week. This partnership not only showcased Away's products in a high-fashion context but also demonstrated the brand's ability to seamlessly integrate into the world of designer fashion. Similarly, their summer collaboration with La Ligne brought a touch of fun stripes and approachable fashion to their lineup, appealing to the style-conscious traveler.
But Away's collaborations extend beyond just fashion. Their partnership with the "I'm a Voter" campaign showed a commitment to civic engagement, proving that the brand understands the importance of aligning with values that resonate with their customers. This kind of socially conscious partnership adds depth to Away's brand identity.
Away's expansion into sport and travel accessories indicates a keen understanding of their customers' evolving needs. By diversifying their product range, they're not just selling luggage; they're offering comprehensive travel solutions that cater to various aspects of the journey. The Courtside collection introduced great pieces for smaller daily adventures in addition to carry-on essentials for staying organized (and taking those racquets with you.) They also have been supporting athletes through the Olympics and the US Women’s Soccer Team. The Featherlight Collection is performing so well and the details (pockets, organizers) make commuting, sightseeing, errands and of course, travel, a breeze and much more comfortable.
Don’t even get me started on the Softside luggage. It is so fantastic that after years of innovating around hard sided suitcases they finally launched a soft sided suitcase. It is so light, easy to use and looks great too. Plus the campaign was so fun - Alan Ruck, Megan Stalter, Aminatou Sow, Tyler Joe and more. Did I mention how light it was??
Now, with the launch of the Café Edit, Away once again demonstrates its ability to tap into current trends while maintaining its core identity. This collection, inspired by the timeless elegance of European cafés, represents a sophisticated evolution. Let's take a closer look at how this new line is set to elevate the travel experience.
European Chic Meets Understated Elegance
What: Away's latest drop – the Café Edit. Inspired by the timeless elegance of European cafés, this collection serves up rich textures and classic designs. Durable polycarbonate shells with a matte finish and premium pebbled leather texture. Away luggage does Fall Fashion just in time for Fashion Month heading to Europe. Texture and rich shades of espresso and the creamiest cream.
When: Launching September 17th at 10am ET
Behind the Scenes with Jen Rubio
Away continues to hit it out of the park. I was thrilled to have the opportunity to ask Away's CEO and Co-Founder Jen Rubio a few questions to get the scoop on this elevated collection. Here's what she had to say:
Are there any travel destinations that Away had in mind when designing this collection?
Jen Rubio: Paris and Venice are two of my favorite cities so they naturally came to mind while conceptualizing this collection. We were really inspired by the rich hues and textures of the cafés found across Europe and their timeless elegance that you can’t seem to find anywhere else. Every piece in the collection has been precisely crafted to reflect this from the premium texture and hardware of the suitcases to the rich, pebbled leather featured across the bags and accessories.
For the campaign, we wanted to hone in on the layered textures, rich colors, and unique finishes of the products paired with soft shadows, neutral and elevated styling, and off center framing. The collection is designed to elevate every travel experience so we wanted to bring its luxurious appeal to life by zooming in on the details that make these pieces what they are: elevated and timeless.
Sarah Shapiro: I was able to see the product in advance of the launch and travel with it. I’m super impressed with the material. It is more matte and the pebbled texture both elevates the look and holds up incredibly well. After putting many miles on the suitcases you wouldn’t even know it. The matte finish also gives an understated look to these pieces.
How does the Café Edit fit into Away's broader brand strategy and vision for the future?
Jen Ruibo: This limited-edition collection is a testament to the new techniques and fabrications that we can apply to our iconic silhouettes to give them a fresh look. They’re authentically Away: we know what works when it comes to function, durability, and the little details every traveler appreciates. That, paired with techniques like the leather-look imprint on our tough polycarbonate, elevates the travel experience while maintaining the focus on durability and style that our customers have come to know and love about Away.
Any details on Away’s Eckhaus Latta collaboration?
Jen Rubio: We also partnered with Eckhaus Latta for their NYFW week show, to ensure all their guests could seamlessly transport their looks from their fittings to their residence ahead of wearing them to the show.
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Packing Inspo: Three Chic Getaways
Thank you to Jen Rubio for sharing some of her favorite European destinations, what she is packing and her can’t miss spots.
#1 - Parisian Weekender
Away items: The Carry-On in Espresso Brown, The Transit Leather Backpack in Cream White, The Large Toiletry Bag in Cream White
Trip: A few days full of art and fashion in Paris
Vibe: Minimal, polished, timeless
Outfit: Alaia dress, long twill coat, white cream ankle boots from Khaite
Can’t Miss: Sarah Sze show at Gagosian
#2 - Venetian Getaway
Away items: The Medium in Cream White, The Everywhere Bag in Espresso Brown, The Insider Packing Cubes in Espresso Brown
Trip: Long weekend in Venice
Vibe: Artistic, relaxed but still elegant
Outfit: Black bodysuit (on sale!), Prada silk skirt, Khaite Davis boots
Can’t Miss: Pierre Huyghe at Palazzo Grassi, dinner at Vini da Arturo
#3 - London Work Trip
Away items: The Trunk in Espresso Brown, The Bigger Carry-On in Espresso Brown, The Mini Everywhere Bag in Cream White, The Passport Wallet in Espresso Brown
Trip: London for meetings and seeing old friends
Vibe: Casual
Outfit: Nili Lotan barrel jeans, white tee (the La Ligne Molly tee is my favorite), Khaite black leather belt with oversized silver buckle, Chanel flats, Prada trench, Away Mini Everywhere Bag
Can’t Miss: A facial from Eilidh Smith at SKINWORK, lunch at River Cafe
Any locations at the top of your list? Where do you want to go and one item you are packing?
Retail Diary Travel Essentials
These are the pieces I never leave at home.
The Bigger Carry-On: I love that the espresso brown has the matte texture (it looks rich!) and the Softside is so light. I love it! I’m a carry-on only traveler and the bigger carry-on is the perfect size for me.
Packing Cubes: I can’t pack without them. Earlier this year I read Jen Rubio’s tip to use different colors to organize for different family members or types of clothing and I have used this tip so many times. Updating your travel kit with a new packing cube color is super fun and very low effort.
Toiletry Case: The large size is perfect for holding my essentials and easy to organize each compartment.
Passport Case: With my passport case I keep some small sticker, business card or receipt as a trinket from each trip. Every time I open the case it feels like a mini scrapbook. I keep tucked in the pocket.
The Collection Breakdown
The Classic Suitcases: Available in five sizes, from carry-on to trunk, in Espresso Brown and Cream White. These suitcases and accessories feature an Espresso Brown lining (so on trend this season), tortoiseshell hardware, and pebbled leather details.
The Accessories Game: From the Everywhere Bag to the Transit Leather Backpack, Large Toiletry Bag, Passport Wallet, and Card Case – all in rich, pebbled leather. Your travel ensemble can match completely or add a single piece a la carte to work in with your other pieces.
The Showstopper: The Mini Everywhere Bag is back and better than ever! This cult classic is perfect for everything from weekend getaways to running errands in style. When one bag isn’t enough, this is a great one to add into your bigger bags and then use as your are sightseeing or running to meetings.
That’s the edit on this European inspired and designed collection. So, what are you grabbing, packing and where are you going?
xx
Sarah Shapiro
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Oh I love this! I still use my Away suitcases from the Rashida Jones collab they did in 2017! They’ve travelled the world with me. Just after they launched I was on a brand trip in New York with a beauty brand, I got into the lift at the hotel and THERE SHE WAS. When I was checking out later that week she saw me go past with my suitcase and she winked and me and said ‘I love your suitcase’ and to this date it’s still the coolest moment of my life 😂
Well now I need to book a trip…