Away's new alpine-inspired Chalet collection is eye-catching, even by the standards of Away's other limited edition designs. But what really sets the line apart is a brand new product that Away hadn't previously sold: The Sling Bag.
But first, the suitcases. All of Away's ubiquitous rolling suitcases are available in bright yellow with a white racing stripe, shiny white with a red racing stripe, or alpine green with frosted white accents. These are some of the first Away suitcases to branch out from minimal, monochromatic hues, and while the racing stripes won't be to everyone's taste, they're sure to stand out in the airport.
They're also rarities among Away suitcases in featuring polished, light-reflecting finishes, rather than traditional textured matte plastic. The glimmer seems to accent the racing stripes on the red and yellow bags, and helps the green one stand out from a standard green Away bag. But that added sheen comes at a cost; each suitcase is $50 more than the same sized standard model.
The retro alpine theme carries over to the Everywhere Bag (in a vivid red leather with white stripe), The Longitude Tote (gray with a green stripe), and The Backpack (with an underwhelming "Black Diamond" design) as well, but the real news from the Chalet collection is The Sling Bag.
Designed with skiing in mind, the bright yellow leather bag is water resistant, straps across your body to sit against your chest, and has interior pockets designed for your ski pass, credit cards, sunglasses, sunscreen, and anything else you want to bring up the chairlift with you. A clever key clip gives you quick access to your keychain while removing any risk of dropping your keys, and it retracts into a magnetic front pocket when you don't need it. It's certainly a niche bag (particularly in this single, loud hue), but Away seems determined to create a bag for every need, and alping sports is certainly one of them.
Like all of Away's limited edition colorways, the Chalet collection won't be around forever, and will probably melt away like so much snow over the next few weeks.
