portable luxury by pinel & pinel

We’ve covered a few rather unusual designers here at PadStyle, but Pinel & Pinel is definitely one of the stranger ones. Born in Paris, Frederic Pinel had his first major success selling pizza bags; after which point he moved into other markets including smoking accessories, bathing shoes and dog collars. His present love: trunks, especially large ones that harken to the golden years of the Orient Express, which he customizes in unusual ways. Above: His Visio Trunk is a portable movie theater, with a 28-inch Beovision LCD screen, Bang & Olufsen DVD/CD player and nickel-plated brass hardware. Upholstered in leather, this trunk comes in one of 51 colors.

For audiophiles, Pinel has created a Soprano outfitted with a 250-watt B&O speaker system. Just like the Visio, the Soprano comes outfitted with casters for portability and is available in over four dozen colors. The most interesting feature of the Soprano is an array of 24 apothecary drawers which can hold up to 480 CDs/DVDs, giving this piece a quaintly Asian style.

It’s been said one of the best ways to see Europe is by bicycle; the Bike trunk has the unusual distinction of including an actual Brompton type M6R which can be disassembled and stowed away inside its compact frame. At 66 lbs, it’s a bit heavy and doesn’t come with casters (a major oversight), but it does make a somewhat compelling “case” for more well-heeled travelers who have the money to afford bellhops.

Lastly we have the Krug, which Pinel describes as the “ultimate, eccentric, contemporary and enormous luxury moment.” This trunk is actually a massive 88 lb. picnic basket with brown colt leather upholstered and red leather lining. 10 drawers carry numerous champagne bottles, utensils, bowls, thermos bottles and anything else you could conceivably need for a picnic–including the table. Yup, the Krug’s door actually detaches and includes a fairly spacious cocktail table and four foldable stools. Stylish in an old-world way, perfect for those who want a bit of traditional sophistication in their (portable) decor. For more information, feel free to visit the Pinel & Pinel website.