Traveling royally

Luggage, flights and ? that will have you traveling in style.

What globetrotter wouldn’t want a Globe-Trotter suitcase?

Synonymous with great British design, Globe-Trotter is a luxury travel lifestyle brand producing gorgeous handcrafted luggage and leather collections. Established in 1897, Globe-Trotter handcrafts suitcases and travel accessories in Hertfordshire, England, with highly skilled artisans using original manufacturing methods and machinery that date from the Victorian era.

Globe-Trotter products have been used by an enviable client list over the years from Capt. Robert Falcon Scott and Sir Winston Churchill to actors Daniel Craig and Eddie Redmayne and model Kate Moss. Collections are available to purchase online at Globe-trotter.com and in the Globe-Trotter flagship store, along with a bespoke service, at 35 Albemarle St., London. You can custom order your luggage in practically any color of the rainbow. And you can only imagine the bespoke luggage tags. A Globe-Trotter vanity case costs anywhere from $1,000 to $1,600. Bespoke bags are about three times the cost of an “off the rack” item you can purchase in the store. 

Oh yes, and the company produces luggage for Queen Elizabeth. On her honeymoon, the Queen used her Globe-Trotter suitcase — a favorite among the royal couple’s many wedding gifts —which she still uses today.

Every Globe-Trotter suitcase is produced from a sheet of vulcanized fiberboard — a unique material invented in Britain during the 1850s that is as strong as leather, yet light as aluminum.   

A blunt-edge Victorian guillotine — you heard that right — cuts the fiberboard, using only the weight of the blade. Each panel is expertly molded into shape using a method patented by Globe-Trotter in 1901. Components and handles are attached by hand.

Inspired by the 1970s jet set’s ski vacations to the snowy Alps, Globe-Trotter recently created the St. Moritz collection. It focuses on red, navy and ivory — colors selected in retro homage to the bright skiwear of the ’70s. Globe-Trotter’s iconic navy case is now embellished with a contrasting red handle and stitching details, while a new ivory case features striped external webbing straps in the trio of hues. The ivory case comes complete with a fun lining depicting skiers descending on the inside of the lid. Globe-Trotter has also introduced an amethyst color to its Deluxe collection. Matching the existing Deluxe offerings, each case boasts a high-gloss, metallic exterior and a plush interior lining. Inspired by the colors and hues of the gemstone, the collection ranges from a handbag-sized miniature case to a 33-inch suitcase, and will impart a regal air to anyone traveling with it. 

KLM at 100

In October, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines celebrated its 100th anniversary. Founded in 1919, KLM is the first commercial airline that is still flying under its original name. Ever since KLM’s first commercial flight, the company has set its sights on progress.

One of its most innovative approaches, begun in 2009, is sustainable aviation fuel, which reduces the CO2 emissions from each flight by up to 85%. In 2011, it flew the first commercial flight on biofuel and, a year later, launched the Sustainable Aviation Fuel Program for corporations. Today KLM uses 57 times more sustainable fuel than in 2011. 

In keeping with tradition, KLM marked its anniversary with the presentation of a new Delftware miniature house, a moment eagerly awaited by faithful collectors all over the world. This year’s miniature is a replica of Huis ten Bosch palace in The Hague, the home of King Willem-Alexander and his family. 

The KLM Crown Lounge experience is also taking on new heights with the opening of Blue, the Crown Lounge’s new restaurant and bar. You can relax and unwind in this new space before departure or upon arrival at the Amsterdam Airport.

Michelin-starred chef Joris Bijdendijk’s belief in the power of working with local and authentic ingredients infuses Blue’s menu. Only the best Dutch ingredients are used to create an authentic culinary journey at your table.

In addition to the restaurant, you can also relax in the Blue bar, an elegant fusion of a coffee lounge and cocktail bar. Whether you want to kick-start your morning with a special blend of coffee beans or wind down with a cocktail made from one of the 300 local and international spirits, the Blue bar will deliver. Can you say Dutch treat?

BACK AT HOME

I speak from experience when I say that traveling, by necessity, requires travel-sized samples.  I typically keep many of my cosmetics in a beauty case — which functions as an extra drawer — but I now have an even better solution.  It’s an adorable, sassy and classy rose-gold mini refrigerator that was developed specifically to house beauty lotions and potions. The Fria Refrigerator is an adorable addition to your bathroom or walk-in closet, where it will house your traveling dream creams, facial rollers and masks. For example, serums with vitamin C typically need to be chilled. Here is a cool cooler that I’m juiced up about. The Fria Skincare Fridge is now available at vanityplanet.com and retails for $89.99.

For more about Debbi, visit Debbikickham.com.

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