1975
The first leather bags
Charlie Clifford founded Tumi after time in Peru as a Peace Corps volunteer. The early collection established a travel-goods business.
The House & Its Designers
Tumi
United States · 1975
Bags designed around the repeated demands of travel.
Tumi began with leather bags before making technical materials and organisation central to its identity. The interest is in the details a frequent traveller uses: compartments, handles, closures and serviceability.
1 photographs · Reviewed August 2026
Explore the history ↓
01 / The house
The story behind the name.
1980s
Technical materials
The use of ballistic nylon helped define a practical, durable-looking style. Organisation and construction became as important as the outward silhouette.
The design
A system for travel
Suitcases, briefcases, backpacks and totes address different parts of a journey. Their shared identity comes from purposeful details and an emphasis on repeated use.
02 / The designers
The people who shaped the house.
Selected creative chapters; dates distinguish appointments from runway debuts.
Founder
Charlie Clifford
Established the travel-goods company in 1975.
Travel and accessories
The Tumi design team
Develops materials, organisation and carrying systems around travellers’ needs.
03 / The bags
A vocabulary in leather and form.
A selection of the house’s designs. Resale photographs illustrate individual examples; size, finish and condition vary.
01
Alpha Brief
A business-bag format with dedicated compartments and travel-oriented construction.
More designs to know
- Alpha Bravo Knox
- A practical backpack with multiple zipped compartments and travel-oriented organisation.
- Voyageur Capri
- A lightweight bag from Tumi’s practical Voyageur collection.
- Voyageur Mariella
- A compact crossbody design with an organised interior.