American business travel luggage; Samsonite's premium acquisition.
Tumi was founded in 1975 by Charlie Clifford, a former Peace Corps volunteer in Peru, who returned to New Jersey and started a small luggage brand selling South American leather pieces under the Quechua name Tumi (meaning 'knife').
The brand pivoted to ballistic nylon professional luggage in the 1990s and became the de facto American business-travel brand by the 2000s. Acquired by Samsonite in 2016 for $1.8 billion.
Founded 1975.
Charlie Clifford had spent two years as a Peace Corps volunteer in Peru. On returning to New Jersey he started importing South American leather goods under a brand name borrowed from a pre-Columbian Quechua sacrificial knife. The early brand was a small specialty leather business.
Tumi pivoted to ballistic nylon professional luggage in 1983 — the now-classic black laptop briefcase silhouette with the small Tumi label. By the 1990s it had become the de facto American business-travel brand, sold heavily through department stores and corporate gifting programs.
Samsonite acquired Tumi in 2016 for $1.8 billion — the largest luggage acquisition in history at the time. Under Samsonite ownership, Tumi has remained positioned as the premium-luggage sister to Samsonite's mainstream business.
1 era of creative direction.
Sanz leads Tumi's design — focused primarily on luggage, with the bag categories supporting the travel-first brand identity.
5 icons. Each one a scene; each scene a gallery.
Convertible nylon shoulder bag from the women's Voyageur line.
Tactical-style backpack with multiple compartments.
Compact travel crossbody.
Structured leather-and-nylon shoulder bag.
Classic ballistic nylon briefcase.