Designer Luggage & Briefcases

Designer luggage and briefcases date back to the early days of the grand voyage, when travel cases looked like props from Downton Abbey and business bags resembled those carried by gentlemen who could have been characters on Sherlock Holmes. At the time, options were fairly limited, with only a handful makers supplying the lion's share of globetrotters and the suited set with travel and commerce-friendly staples.

These days, designers offer a vast selection of styles, materials, and colors for luggage and briefcases. There are preppy-chic attachés by Kate Spade, top-flight corporate bags by Louis Vuitton, leather suitcases by Hermès, and trunks by Goyard, to name a few.

From roomy no-nonsense overnight bags to gusseted organizers with numerous pockets, designer bags and cases come in every form. Whether sporty, stylish carryalls or impeccably crafted one-of-a-kind structured briefs, designer bags and cases are auction favorites for road warriors, jet setters, and capitalists worldwide.

Quick Facts

• In an October 2014 Sotheby's auction in Hong Kong, a pair of Goyard Billionaire Boys Club rolling suitcases by NIGO with a 12,000 HKD high estimate sold for 106,250 HKD
• In 2015, a retro Louis Vuitton hard-sided canvas briefcase with the signature LV logo sold in a Silverstone auction in England for £1,410
• A John Lobb for Hermès custom-made shoe trunk constructed of leather and beech wood sold in a Christie's London June 2015 auction for £10,625