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Samsonite teams up with the Van Gogh Museum to create a capsule collection in tribute to the great artist and his masterpiece Almond Blossom.
With Dutch artist Vincent van Gogh’s masterpiece Almond Blossom as an inspiration, Samsonite beautifully captures the blossom’s poetic beauty in an exclusive luggage and backpack collection. The collection reinterprets three of Samsonite’s lightweight ranges adding the freshness of one of Vincent van Gogh’s world-renowned masterpieces.
From suitcases to duffles to elegant backpacks for women, the Almond Blossom limited edition offers a travel solution for every fashion-forward contemporary woman.
When the Van Gogh Museum reached out to us, we were immediately excited by the idea to collaborate on a travel collection in honour of one of the most famous artists of all times, says Lotte De Vreese, General Manager Samsonite Travel. “Vincent van Gogh was a true traveller and we are proud to carry out his legacy to those art enthusiasts and fellow travellers around the world so they can enjoy this beautiful translation of his “Almond Blossom” masterpiece.“
Laurine Van Rooijen, B2B Manager VGME: “We were thrilled when Samsonite agreed to work with us, as there is such a beautiful fit between our two brands. Vincent van Gogh was a frequent traveller and, similar to Samsonite, dedicated to research and to continuously develop his art through innovation. Our partnership celebrates how Vincent was inspired by his travels and studying art from other countries. We hope people will be as open to being inspired wherever their journeys take them, with a beautiful piece of luggage as an artistic reminder.”
Adding a Touch of Spring
A symbol of spring and new beginnings, the Almond Blossom stands at the center of three of Samsonite’s bestselling collections. Much like the artist’s work, they encourage you to discover the world around you, viewing it from new and different perspectives.
The Hardside Lite-Shock special edition is fully covered both on the exterior and the interior in van Gogh’s Almond Blossom artistry. A perfect match is made with the Softside Uplite collection, on which details of the beautiful painting are revealed on the handles, expandability parts and on the interior lining.
Lite-Shock Almond Blossom retails from R6 499 and the Uplite Almond Blossom from R2 999 from www.houseofsamsonite.co.za or Samsonite stores.
The elegant Skyler backpack completes the line-up with a premium romantic blossom embroidery. A trend that is also seen on many fashion catwalks, offering a chic way to subtly introduce some lovely spring florals into your everyday wardrobe
Skyler Almond Blossom backpack is available from R1 599 from www.houseofsamsonite.co.za or Samsonite stores.
Inspiration from Japan
Japanese imagery and Impressionist art heavily influenced Vincent van Gogh’s work, including Almond Blossom (1890), the piece which served as a muse for the Samsonite & Van Gogh Museum collection. Large blossom branches against a blue sky were one of Van Gogh’s favourite subjects. Almond trees flower early in the spring making them a symbol of new life.
Van Gogh borrowed the subject, the bold outlines and the positioning of the tree in the picture plane from Japanese printmaking. The painting was a gift for his brother Theo and sister-in-law Jo, who had just had a baby son, Vincent Willem. In the letter announcing the new arrival, Theo wrote: ‘As we told you, we’ll name him after you, and I’m making the wish that he may be as determined and as courageous as you.’ Vincent Willem went on to found the Van Gogh Museum. To this day, Vincent van Gogh is one of the world’s most influential and treasured artists, whose work continues to change the way people view art and beauty
About Samsonite
Founded in 1910, Samsonite is the world’s leading luggage brand with an extensive legacy in trendsetting travel solutions. Renowned for breakthrough research, development and its commitment to innovation, Samsonite has excelled since its inception in a number of industry firsts. Samsonite offers an extensive range of travel, business, kids, casual and personal accessory products. Samsonite helps travellers journey further, with ever-lighter and stronger products.
About Van Gogh Museum Enterprises BV (VGME)
Under the brand name ‘Van Gogh Museum Amsterdam’, Van Gogh Museum Enterprises BV (VGME) develops a variety of products and services based on the Van Gogh Museum’s mission to make the life and work of Vincent van Gogh accessible to as many people as possible in order to enrich and inspire them.
All of these products and services are developed – also in collaboration with external partners – with Vincent van Gogh’s legacy in mind. The generated income contributes to supporting the activities of the Van Gogh Museum.
