On November 17 in London Sotheby's and Louis Vuitton will co-host a gala charity auction of six limited-edition Special Orders Vuitton pieces to benefit the Red Cross and commemorate the organization's 150th anniversary. Since its creation in 1854, Vuitton's Special Orders department has made bespoke creations (see Karl Lagerfeld's here) to suit the whims of customers willing to pay for the perfect carrying case to suit their whims. For the Red Cross benefit sale, Vuitton created custom pieces for Damien Hirst (a butterfly armoire), chef Ferran Adrià (trolley case with knife tray), photographer Annie Leibovitz (camera bags), musician and composer Gustavo Santaolalla (instrument case), Vuitton creative director Marc Jacobs (dog carrier) and Patrick Louis Vuitton (alligator tool kit), the head of Vuitton's Special Orders department and a member of the fifth generation of the Vuitton family. Each piece was designed by Patrick-Louis Vuitton in collaboration with the celebrity, along with a special Red Cross medical kit trunk (above) with boxes for emergency supplies.

A lavish new coffee table book from Rizzoli titled Louis Vuitton: Art, Fashion and Architecture is a seductive anthology of the famed French fashion house's collaborations with an international group of elite artists, architects, designers, and photographers, including Frank Gehry, Zaha Hadid, David LaChapelle, Annie Leibovitz, Takashi Murakami (whose updated LV monogram is featured on the cover) Richard Prince and Stephen Sprouse. Beautiful images are interspersed with critical essays that examine and position Louis Vuitton's patronage, under the guidance of Artistic Director Marc Jacobs, during "one of the most fertile periods of contemporary art and design." The book is divided alphabetically so as to serve as a sort of encyclopedia of the many collaborations, commissions and sponsorships Vuitton, a cornerstone of the LVMH luxury goods empire, has engaged in over the years.

Today and Friday Christie's is holding its Interiors sale in New York, featuring property from the estates of prominent collectors. Some 900 items, including fine art, furniture, silver, ceramics and decorative items will go on the block, including this set of beautiful vintage Louis Vuitton luggage. Two of the suitcases feature the classic LV monogram and the third is plain leather bearing the initials ESS; offered without reserve the lot is estimated at $2,000 - $3,000. Also on offer is a classic Eames rosewood, aluminum and black leather lounge chair and ottoman designed for Herman Miller in 1956, estimated at $2,000 - $3,000, as well as photographs by John Jonas Gruen of artists like Jackson Pollack, Robert Rauschenberg, and Jasper Johns taken in the Hamptons in the '50s.

We've written before about the allure of vintage luggage, expressing the glamour and decadence of a bygone era when journeying to a foreign land involved adventure, romance and style. While certain pieces do turn up at auction from time to time, the Germany-based Vintage Luggage Company has now amassed the world's greatest collection of classic travel items made by the likes of Louis Vuitton, Hermès and Goyard, which they can have professionally crated and shipped worldwide. Among the prizes in their inventory are an amazing selection of bespoke trunks, including a 1920s Vuitton desk trunk which converts to a writing table complete with a typewriter. Another trunk from 1925 houses a full set of plates, cutlery and cooking equipment, each with its own bespoke leather case. Others contain a long evening's worth of champagne, a complete collection of hats, a portable library - pretty much anything you could wish for while on the road.

[via Duncan Quinn]

Swaine Adeney Brigg, the 250-year-old London luxury goods maker that holds a Royal Warrant from the Queen of England and the Prince of Wales, has come out with a stunning new leather luggage collection. Paying homage to the Grand Tours of yesteryear, the firm's design director Dominc Laurelli, brought in to freshen up the brand last year, drew inspiration from the coloured stripes, be they regimental, heraldic or racing, once painted on the luggage of soldiers, aristocrats and explorers for easy identification. Made from the finest leather, the stripes lend the pieces a jaunty, sporting air. There are several different styles of holdall as well as a hatbox.

A laptop case needn't make you look like a Star Trek enthusiast or some sort of overgrown schoolchild, yet most such designs leave a lot to be desired aesthetically. That's especially true when it comes to sheathing the larger sort of laptop such as the Apple MacBook Pro 17". A stylish machine like that deserves an equally stylish case, however. Chic luggage and travel accessories company Tumi has come to the rescue with the Villa 17" Computer Brief (above). Made from the finest Italian texture coated canvas with luxurious vachetta leather trim and polished, nickel hardware, it features a padded laptop compartment, interior organizer pockets, and an adjustable, removable shoulder strap.The case complements the rest of Tumi's refined, elegant and classic Villa Collection, targeted to the sophisticated professional, featuring a range of designs for every requirement.

All I know about luggage is Samsonite and American Tourister (and Louis V., of course), so I admit I am experiencing a wee bit of sticker shock from HENK, the $20,000 suitcase. But I'm sure you, Luxist readers, are much more sophisticated than I, at least in the travel arena, so you may be interested in meeting HENK. Let's see what you get for this price ... But first, a disclaimer. The HENK site is one of those that no matter where you click, you don't get a new/unique URL. So I apologize for not being able to take you to all the sections directly. This is a DIY post.

First, the story behind the bag -- click on "Go to the story" on the main site, or read this detailed Forbes article. As with many success stories, HENK was borne out of dissatisfaction with a current product. A Dutch businessman named Henk van de Meene wanted to create a better piece of luggage after struggling with his bag one busy day in LaGuardia.

Then, the workmanship -- each HENK is handmade in The Netherlands to your specifications. Here's an example: "The choice is yours: from glossy carbon fibre and smooth calf leather for the exterior to high-tech fibre, horsehair or even cow hide with a zebra print for the interior." There are a slew of colors, and the HENK site promised to do its best to meet your customization requests.

Then, two styles from which to choose -- Travelfriend (shown above) and Attaché Case (see gallery).

HENK promises to feel practically weightless and to be sturdy, easy to maneuver with its large wheels, easy to unpack with its dual door design, easy to wheel with its telescoping handle, hard to lose with its retractable "leash," and really luxurious due to its high-end materials -- and the knowledge that it was made just for you. (But if you're not as particular about color or materials or in more of a time crunch, select from the ready-to-ship collection and the limited edition collection.)

[Thanks, Norman]

Classic clothier Brooks Brothers is making a foray into high-end luxury goods with its new line of genuine crocodile luggage and accessories for men. The ultra-luxe, elegant and understated collection consists of five pieces: a Crocodile Weekender duffel bag (above); matching Crocodile Flap Briefcase; a Crocodile Travel Bag; an Alligator Journal; and an Alligator Eyeglass Case. The last two are finished in fine alligator skin; all the bags feature brass hardware. The Weekender retails for $15,000; the Briefcase for $10,000; the Travel Bag for $3,000; the Journal for $3,000; and the Eyeglass Case for $1,000. Altogether the five pieces come to $32,000.

[via JustLuxe]

The Heist Traveler Leather Collection is the newest line of luggage and accessories from London luxury goods firm Dunhill. The understated, durable and elegant collection is comprised of seven different pieces finished in lack printed PVC material and rubberized black leather, black nylon webbing detailing and brushed gunmetal hardware. The pieces range from a small North South bag with various zips and pockets to roomy trolley cases which can fit everything needed for an overseas trip. The versatile larger pieces also have a host of internal functions including a laundry bag, padded laptop sleeve, travel adapter, flight socks and shirt holder. The Double Zip Document Case includes compartments for all standard business accessories as well as a nylon-lined pocket to house an umbrella.

[via JustLuxe]

Stylish luggage and travel accessories company Tumi has just come out with its most luxurious designs yet: two new additions to its exclusive Townhouse collection finished in the world's finest alligator skin. Slim and sleek, the Parliament Brief (above) bears slender retractable handles and zip top closure and is priced at $13,000. A signature polished nickel clasp closure secures the Windsor Envelope, which is priced at $12,000. The two pieces together cost $25,000. Starting in the fall the cases will be available by special order only. Handmade in Italy, each piece is constructed from the finest alligator skins and lined in supple tan suede. As we reported earlier this year, President Obama carries a black Tumi briefcase.

[via JustLuxe]

In October British luggage designer Bill Amberg will launch a new limited edition line of leathergoods in collaboration with Johnnie Walker Blue Label. Johnnie Walker Blue Label by Bill Amberg Studio comprises collection of travel accessories for men that "celebrate the values of craftsmanship, quality and rarity shared by these two iconic brands." The collection centers on a beautifully crafted limited-edition bag, the Weekender (above) which is "bold and masculine in design, capturing the contemporary desire for discreet style and practicality." Made of the finest quality saddle leather in deep navy blue with a bespoke, numbered label, it features a removable carrier designed specifically to hold a bottle of Johnnie Walker Blue Label Scotch Whisky which is included in the bag. Only 350 of the bags will be available worldwide, priced at about $2,000.

[via Acquire]

For $65,000 decadent designer Tom Ford will kit you out with a killer three-piece set of alligator luggage and a matching pair of gloves. The luggage, handmade in Italy by the worlds finest craftsmen, includes a document portfolio (above left), briefcase (above right), and duffel bag with gold engine-turned locking mechanisms. Priced separately, the document portfolio is priced at $11,900, the briefcase at $22,500, the duffle bag at $27,190 and the matching gloves at $3,230. The ultra-luxe pieces are notable for the impeccable quality of the genuine alligator skin, carefully selected for its beautiful finish and symmetrical appearance. In addition every element has been crafted from alligator with no inferior leathers used for straps or other parts as with some designers' alligator pieces.

[via JustLuxe]

Porsche Design has long since evolved from an automotive design studio into a company offering a wide range of highly desirable products, sold worldwide through their own dedicated stores, along with special design work for other companies as well. But all the while they haven't forgotten their roots. As if to demonstrate just that, the studio has launched a new collection to compliment the new Panamera four-door grand touring car from their automotive sister-company. The collection includes all manner of clothing and accessories for men, women and children, as well as a line of Swiss-made timepieces and a set of fitted luggage. The latter is made of lightweight aluminum and polycarbonate, designed to fit in the trunk space of the new Panamera and available in the same exterior colors to provide a fresh take on the traditional soft-sided fitted luggage offered by other luxury automakers.

If you travel by private jet, there's no need to worry about your luggage getting beaten up in transit. Hence you can use a set of beautifully handmade cases crafted from the world's finest exotic leather. At least, we assume that's the rationale behind Bottega Veneta's outrageously opulent set of alligator skin luggage. The six piece set, which includes three suitcases (small, medium and large), a beauty case and a duffle bag, costs $157,000; the pieces are also available individually, ranging from $23,000 to $47,000. All are finished in noce fume rich brown soft-finished alligator skin and feature burnished metal hardware with reinforced corners and locking mechanisms. And of course if you're traveling by private jet you can afford it.

[via JustLuxe]

Who among us hasn't tried this: You're schlepping through the airport with multiple pieces of luggage but only one of them has wheels, so you stack your other bags on top of it and/or hook them around the handle, hoping to lighten your load. It works for about twenty paces or so and then becomes a tangled mess that only slows you down even more. Seeking a solution to this traveler's nightmare, West Coast Trends Inc., maker of popular Club Glove products, has introduced a line of attachable luggage called Train Reaction.

The line consists of three-piece luggage sets ($667–$757) that include a shoulder bag, a carry-on and large duffle or golf travel bag. The two largest pieces in each set have wheels and are designed to hook together. The third bag fits on top, and all three share a handle that can be pulled with one arm. Sounds confusing? Actually, it's rather simple, as you can see in this somewhat breathless promotional video.