Luggage to last a lifetime

AFTER SHARING retail space in Bangkok’s leading department stores with other brands for the last two years, luxury Italian travelware Bric’s Milano held a red-carpet opening last Tuesday for its first stand-alone store in Thailand. 

Veteran craftsman Mario Briccola started his business in 1952 by producing suitcases and bags for such leading global brands as Lancel, Gucci, Burberry and Mercedes. In 1962, he launched his own brand, offering classy functional luggage and bags made from premium materials and in different designs to match the lifestyles of high-end travellers. 

Today, Bric’s Milano has 33 branches and distributors in 170 countries. In Bangkok, it is run by Connoisseurs Lifestyle, a group dedicated to bringing boutique luxury brands from around the globe.

“This is a family business that has passed its expertise down from generation to generation. Now, it’s in hands of the second generation, and they focus on mixing modern technology and traditional Italian crafts to create premium travelware. We opened our first flagship store in 2000 at Galleria Vittorio Emanuele, Milan and expanded to the US in 2001. In 2012, we hosted an exhibition to showcase our innovations to mark our 60th anniversary. Our products are popular with celebrities and have appeared in many Hollywood films,” says Marco Molteni, retail manager of Bric’s Milano.

“We use only the best materials including Tuscan leather, wheels from Japan and polycarbonate from Germany. Our bags are simple and classic, but functionality and weight are equally as important. We design the bags so they can be easily mixed and matched across all our collections.”

Ideally positioned on the second floor of Gaysorn mall, the new store is designed to resemble train tracks and boasts a beautiful marble floor. 

“We’re the exclusive distributor for Bric’s Milano, which now has branches in Thailand and Malaysia. We introduced Bric to Bangkok two years ago through the luggage departments of Central Chidlom and Emporium and the feedback was excellent. We are mainly targetting a clientele between the ages of 25 to 40 who like to travel and do so regularly,” says Mananya Vanthaneeyakul, general manager of Connoisseurs Lifestyle. “The bags come with five-year warranties and a solid after-sale service.”

The newest collection Bellagio Metallo revives the brand’s classic silhouettes to create distinctive square-shaped trolleys made with high-performance three-layer polycarbonate that is light, flexible and shock resistant. 

Ultra-light aluminium frames with two locks add to the sense of security and the range is available in four sizes and two colours – metallic silver and dark brown – trimmed with Tuscan leather that is traditionally tanned with natural 

 materials to give it a different texture and smell.

Inside there are compartments for business cards, a suit hook and locking hangers, while double wheels are designed to roll and swivel silently during 360 degrees turns. 

The best-selling Life series offers luxurious-looking trolleys, suitcases, backpacks and briefcases made from mustang synthetic leather, which blends matte PVC and cotton viscose to produce a micro suede that is waterproof and easy to clean, scratch-proof, UV-proof and ultra-light. 

The trolleys are adorned with trims of natural vegetable-tanned Tuscan leather and feature a double mustang structure with polyethylene foam to provide excellent surface protection, impact resistance and flexibility. 

The XBag line, meanwhile, has handbags and totes made from waterproof nylon satin. They come with functional short holders that can double as a cross-body strap and a small pocket with a strap for accessories.

  

IN THE BAG WITH BRIC

>>Bric’s Milano is on the second floor of Gaysorn mall. It’s open daily from 10am to 8pm. Call (02) 247 1831. Find out more at “Bric’sThailand” page on Facebook.