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Piquadro’s Blue Square cabin trolley |
Italian leathergoods brand Piquadro has expanded its Blue Square bag collection for business travellers and its popular Leonardo travel range. The new products were exhibited at the TFWA Asia Pacific show in Singapore earlier this month.
The new Blue Square trolleys, backpacks and bags all feature the line’s fine Italian leather with an aged look and signature sky-blue trim, and are designed for male and female business travellers.
The bags and trolleys can carry a PC, a tablet and a smartphone and also pens, keys and credit cards. The zippers, compartments and inner and outer pockets that are part of Blue Square Travel aim to ensure that everything is neat and orderly and that personal effects are separate from documents and tech devices. The models have a separate pocket for an umbrella.
The cabin trolley’s signature blue piping and aged leather look is designed to offer an unusual contrast to the chrome details and hi-tech functionality. The construction is soft and the two retractable handles also allow it to be carried like a travel bag.
The internal space is divided into two compartments and one clothing area. Outside, two large zip pockets allow you to always have your personal effects at hand. The combination lock is TSA keyed for Customs inspections. It is available in black, brown, blue and red.
The Weekend bag has a double compartment, one for work and one for travel. The business compartment contains a pocket for a 15in PC and an iPad pocket. The travel compartment includes a zippered lined pocket, zippered mesh pocket and removable shirt hanger.
The colour range includes red, yellow, blue, black and brown.
The laptop backpack has a double zippered compartment and front zip-around pocket. The large compartment contains a pocket for a 13in PC and an iPad pocket.
The small compartment has a padded pocket for an iPad Mini. The backpack also has a side umbrella holder pocket, a rear band to attach it to the trolley and a retractable address tag. Four colours are offered.
The Blue Square series also includes an assorted set of bags and small accessories in different colour shades, which are designed to be combined together as well as with the briefcase models. Many items are available such as key rings, business card holders, belts and wallets.
The briefcase from Piquadro’s Blue Square collection is an organised, expandable computer bag, which features several external zip pockets and fitting trolley facility. It is equipped with two separate well-padded sleeve compartments for PC and iPad, a key ring, an address tag and numerous internal pockets.
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Blue Square weekend bag with signature blue piping |
The iPad cases are designed to protect the tablets during transport. According to the model, they favour user-friendliness for reading, watching films and surfing the internet or for writing while travelling.
One iPad case model has a slot placed inside the flap cover, enabling it to remain tilted in display position. The flap cover has magnets placed inside it that stop the iPad when closed and reactivate it immediately when opened.
The Apple iPhone and Samsung Galaxy holders are described as stylish accessories covered in thin leather of different colours.
In related news, Piquadro reported that Hollywood actress Uma Thurman was photographed carrying a Piquadro Blue Square line trolley at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this month (see picture below).
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Piquadro’s colourful range of Blue Square trolleys are made from fine Italian leather |
New Leonardo collection for Autumn/Winter 2013
Piquadro has also expanded its Leonardo leather bag line, which features Piquadro’s new P logo which is designed to recall the @ of the e-mail address.
“Leonardo has become a Piquadro classic due to its success in the year since it was launched in Europe,” the company said.
The new models all feature soft, versatile and roomy shapes with a simple internal organisation that includes a removable laptop or iPad holder, multifunctional pockets, key chain and sim card pockets.
The colour palette is also enhanced with the addition of mint green to the existing blue, grey, mustard, black and brown.
The weekend duffel bag is available in mint green, grey, navy blue, mustard, black and brown.
Piquadro lands in Paris
Piquadro has opened its first boutique in Paris, choosing Rue Saint Honoré, one of the main streets for luxury shopping in the city.
The French flagship store, strategically positioned in front of the famous fashion store Colette, was designed like a large sculpture by architect Karim Azzabi, who also designed the futuristic Piquadro headquarters in the Italian province of Bologna.
Azzabi’s concept was inspired by the idea of a cocoon, creating an original exhibition format whose internal structure is entirely made of Corian, the innovative composite material created by DuPont.
“The result is an exhibition area that is a single design element rather than a furnishing solution in the traditional sense of the word and mirrors Piquadro’s technological nature,” the company said.
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Left: Piquadro’s new store in Paris; Right: Actress Uma Thurman carries a Blue Square trolley | |
Piquadro follows internationalisation strategy
The purchasing experience inside the store is enhanced by an iPhone application that interfaces with the videowall inside the shop. Thanks to this software, created in collaboration with Vodafone, the sales staff can show all of the product’s features, colour variations and quality tests on the videowall by simply scanning the barcode on the product using a smartphone.
“The opening of the boutique on Rue Saint Honoré in Paris is an important element of Piquadro’s internationalisation strategy,” said Piquadro President and CEO Marco Palmieri.
“The French capital is the main destination of world tourism and a Piquadro showcase in one of the most visited Paris shopping areas is an essential step in developing Piquadro’s reputation on an international level.”
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Leonardo bags with the new Piquadro logo feature soft, versatile and roomy shapes |
About Piquadro
Piquadro is an Italian brand of professional and travel leather products established in 1987 by Marco Palmieri, the President and CEO. The headquarters is situated near Bologna, where the design, engineering, planning, purchasing, quality control, logistics, marketing, communication and distribution are carried out. The company sells its products in over 50 countries through a distribution network that includes 95 Piquadro boutiques. The group’s consolidated turnover for the 2011-12 fiscal year to 31 March 2012 was €64.4 million with net consolidated profits of €7.8 million. Piquadro has been listed on the Italian stock market since October 2007.
