Many recently closed borders around the world are thankfully cracking open. And with the number of travelers passing through American checkpoints each day, moving closer to the booming days of 2019, it behooves us to make sure we are prepared to take to the skies again. This includes the process of either getting a passport or renewing an expired one. Enter RIMOWA, the LVMH-owned German luxury luggage brand known for its iconic ribbed aluminum suitcases. The brand has retooled its flagship store in New York’s trendy Soho district to include the RIMOWA Passport Studio, to provide complimentary — read: free — passport photos.
The travel brand is opening the RIMOWA Passport Studio as part of a new strategy developed in partnership with architecture firms MA-MA and Mass Studio to further engage store visitors. RIMOWA’s goal with the space is simple: make passport photos luxurious. Boasting “comfortable seating, flattering lighting, and a seamlessly automated user experience,” according to RIMOWA, its Passport Studio is a self-service experience that aims to elevate a mundane experience to a level of opulence. Hidden inside an integrated divider, RIMOWA’s Passport Studio is complimentary for shoppers, bathing them in pristine white light for the perfect snapshot, retries optional. Once the ideal image is captured, the Studio prints 2″ x 2″ portraits (and emails digital versions) on the spot. Given the international foot traffic Soho receives, the space will act as a global testing ground for this experiential offering.
For one of RIMOWA’s most recent offerings, check out the RIMOWA and CHAOS Collaboration on a “Drippy” Travel Capsule.