Shopwatch: Rimowa, New Bond Street, London

Luxury luggage brand Rimowa has unveiled its first global concept store on London's New Bond Street and a new product innovation, the "Electronic Tag", which allows travellers to check in bags from home using their smartphones.

The 220sqm store was designed by atelier oï and architects Dahlbender and uses hologram "stages" to showcase the German brand's range of travel goods. These holograms were inspired by the moulding process that each Rimowa suitcase goes through (the transformation of two-dimentional material into a three-dimentional product).

Holographic "stages" display products

Rounded corners also emulate the suitcase's form in the store, which is minimalist in tone and fitted out using the highest quality materials such as bare aluminium, lacquered wood and leather. Further product displays come in the form of podiums in the centre of the store, which are once again set off by holograms, while mirrored walls add further emphasis to the interplay between reflection, material and light.

Dahlbender, which is the long-time architect of Rimowa stores, teamed up with designers atelier oï on the London store project with a brief to create a "handmade meets high tech" atmosphere. That concept is also carried through to a new product innovation, the Electronic Tag, which enables travellers to check in their suitcases at the airport from their home or hotel using their smartphone, an initiative the brand says will "revolutionise" travel.

Holograms are a recurring motif