It's not often that we're afforded the opportunity to bear witness to the birth of a legend—they're considered "legendary" for a reason. Son Heung-Min is one, a legend whose football skills have earned him critical acclaim and a number of accolades, while at the same time, possessing the charm and charisma of a seasoned public personality. And let's not kid ourselves, Son also has the mug of a model.

We'd go as far as to say that the partnership between Son and TUMI has been a seamless fit based on those attributes alone. The global ambassador embodies TUMI's dedication to quality, innovation, and style that the latter prioritises in pretty much all of its creations across the different facets of its ever-growing universe.

Son's latest campaign with TUMI is perhaps the most personal yet. The entire campaign was shot at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, essentially the second home of the club captain. "I was personally excited for this campaign to be set in my home away from home," he says. "I always value that TUMI is there for me and has my back, whatever journey I’m on." The brand literally has had Son's back for quite a while now too. He's often spotted with an iteration of the Navigation backpack from the Alpha Bravo series that pairs stylishly with both his professional kit as well as his off-duty outfits.

It's no surprise then that the latest campaign highlights the Alpha Bravo as one of the essential companions to Son's fast-paced lifestyle. Looks aside, the Alpha Bravo series' ballistic nylon composition has been a staple signature of TUMI for over three decades. Its hard-wearing strength is a boon for just about anyone living in the fast lane and dispels any worry about their bag falling apart or belongings not being well protected. Couple that with nifty design elements that put function at the very forefront, the Alpha Bravo series is made to outlast and outperform.

Speaking of innovations, the Tegra-Lite® luggage series takes centrestage as Son's travel companion. The series is available in a number of configurations and dimensions (a select few seen in the campaign) and all feature the durable and lightweight Tegris® material commonly used in lifesaving armour, race cars, and professional athletic gear. The shell of every Tegra-Lite® luggage is a composite of many layers that further strengthens the exterior, so you're assured that it'll hold steady against any and every bump along the journey.

Both the Alpha Bravo and Tegra-Lite® excel at being the embodiment of TUMI's key design pillars. The brand takes it a step further this time around—these pieces are not only thoughtfully designed to accompany your journeys, but also to be part of every moment. It ties back to Son; the signature pose that the pro footballer is known for—connecting his index fingers and thumbs together to resemble a camera, and often paired with a smile—after every goal as a means of capturing those moments and holding on to them. TUMI intends on the Alpha Bravo and Tegra-Lite® series to do the same albeit in more tangible ways.

As much as it's uncommon to be living in the same era as a known legend, TUMI's commitment to continuously innovating its function-first approach to design while marrying that with style, is too a rarity in the arena it's in. And if you're in the habit of making memories of just about every moment, the Alpha Bravo and Tegra-Lite® series by TUMI may just be the essential companions to those journeys.

The latest Alpha Bravo and Tegra-Lite® collections are now available at TUMI stores.

Aesthetics matter—there's no doubt about that. We're all attracted to things that we find to be beautiful. And though that typically differs person to person, some things are pretty universal.

Like good design, for example. Tumi's 19 Degree collection exemplifies this with its distinct contours sculpted precisely at a 19-degree angle (hence the name). It's the kind of design aesthetic that's stunning on its own and unless it's an (highly) unlikely situation where the entire baggage carousel consists of variations of 19 Degree luggage, it grabs attention immediately.

But of course, aesthetics are not everything, especially when it relates to design.

"At Tumi we find beauty in elements that aren’t typically thought of as beautiful, from the smooth glide of the wheels to the resilience of 19 Degree's aluminium," says Tumi creative director Victor Sanz.

The design engineering behind the 19 Degree collection is highlighted in Tumi's latest campaign, 'Essentially Beautiful'. Fronted by Tottenham Hotspur forward Son Heung-Min and Formula 1 driver Lando Norris, the campaign showcases the effortlessness of the collection in motion. Beyond that—and something not distinguishable by look alone—the campaign stills display the full collection's signature exterior that are consciously made from post-industrial recycled polycarbonate, with lining derived from post-consumer recycled plastic bottles.

The latest Tumi 19 Degree collection also features a slew of seasonal colours. Red, hunter green, blush and deep plum offer more bold options, in addition to two new textured colourways.

So yes, aesthetics matter. But couple that with good design engineering and you'll probably end up with a luggage series that makes life a tad easier and aesthetically pleasing.