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Luggage has evolved significantly over the past decade, with countless brands offering luxury carry-ons, wheeled checked bags, and other bags with thoughtful design features to streamline the travel experience: from packing, security, travel wear and tear, to the tedious task of unpacking. Over the past five years or so, we’ve seen a proliferation of new luggage brands offering beautiful shells and eye-catching colors that would make any designer handbag jealous. Many of these new entrants to the market are focused on technology and gadget interfacing, incorporating travel batteries, cords, tracking devices, and other innovative features into the bags.
All things considered, it’s particularly tough to stand out in the luggage space right now, but newly launched destination-inspired travel brand Nex is truly a disruptor in this space. Nex understands that travel is not just about getting from point A to point B. Sometimes it’s about the journey itself, sometimes it’s the destination, and how you take part in tourism, whether domestic or international, is an important part of the experience that is often overlooked.
Fostering a unique approach to travel focused on cultivating mindfulness towards the nature, culture and people one visits, Nex has built a brand ethos against empty travel and exploitative tourism in favour of conscious exploration and self-actualisation. And its curated collection of suitcases, bags and backpacks reflects the brand DNA while working to make travel more ethical, sustainable and hassle-free for its customers.
“For me, travel has always been a part of me, and every step I’ve taken has helped me rediscover myself, become a better person, and overcome difficulties,” Nex co-founder Jackson Wang told a group of close journalists at the brand’s recent launch event in Oahu, Hawaii. “From every journey, you come back with more than just memories. When you travel, you go out, you take photos, you try to understand the culture and the language, and you come back with a new perspective.”
Nex co-founder Adam Luko agrees, adding: “Traveling consciously really changes who you are as a person. It opens your eyes to how interconnected life is and how our actions, or failure to act, can have long-term impacts globally, geographically and generationally.”
The brand launched its first collection, “Hawaii Edition,” in late June, which features a curated collection of premium hard-shell suitcases in colors inspired by the island’s natural beauty, including Waikiki Blue and Hanelei Green. Staying true to Nex’s guiding principle of changing the way we think about travel, the collection delves deeper into the culture and community of its muses before unveiling its first collection.
Hawaii holds a special place in Wang’s heart as it’s the place where he proposed to his wife. But the island’s exposure to a legacy of imperialist exploitation that sadly continues today in the form of well-intentioned, but ultimately exploitative or harmful, tourism made the island doubly fitting to highlight Nex’s founding mission.
Nex launched the luggage drop in conjunction with Nex Up, a video series of conversations and interviews that explore the stories, culture and inspiration behind its destination-inspired luggage, available on the brand’s YouTube channel. In the first installment, Ruko speaks with Kaui-based musician Maluhia Castillo about the ecological, social and cultural trauma Hawaii has suffered due to the legacy of extractive tourism the islands have endured.
Castillo admitted that he was initially hesitant to partner with Nex, but after learning about the brand’s mission, he became passionate about educating tourists about the importance of traveling to new places with curiosity, sensitivity, patience and respect for the local culture and environment.
Of course, Wang and Luko understand that the space for luggage and travel essentials is oversaturated, but that’s why they’re even more eager to do things differently. “Humans have had luggage for 2,000 years, and that problem was solved a long time ago,” Wang says. “We don’t want to solve that problem, we want to promote a different way of traveling.” Besides its overarching mission of promoting storytelling, community, and mindful tourism through hassle-free products, Nex is also committed to making it easier for travelers to step out of their comfort zones and explore new cultures, while also promoting ethical manufacturing practices while being more environmentally friendly.
For example, the brand’s Million Mile Guarantee allows Nex owners to travel up to one million miles with their suitcase, and when it’s time for a new one, the brand will replace it for free. For discarded suitcases, the brand will repair broken or damaged parts, clean them, and make them shiny and like-new, and through its soon-to-launch Nexperience program, make the used suitcases available for resale at a discount — a win-win for travelers and the environment.
While other suitcase brands these days emphasize minimalist, sleek design, the Nex collection is truly next level: The interiors of the suitcases are designed to really maximize not just the space, but the space itself. Available The space features several almost hidden compartments for delicate clothing, underwear, shoes, and even dirty clothes to wear at the end of your trip. Even if you’re normally a careless, last-minute packer (*raises hand*), the interior of the bag allows you to easily separate things into at least two halves, or various dividers and pockets, providing functionality that transcends the nightmarish mess of even the most procrastinating packer’s usual luggage.
If you’re looking for luggage that enhances your travel experience, is well-crafted, sustainable, and inspires a sense of purpose on your trips, Nex has stood alone as the #1 emerging luggage brand. For a limited time, you can pre-order Nex’s first-ever Hawaii-inspired collection at a discounted price.
