Smart Travel

July 30, 2021

It's totally okay to be dreaming about your next trip amidst the fall off of the pandemic. Whilst our thoughts about where the virus would take us were pending, all we could do is stay couped in our familiar homes and wanderlust about our next opportunity to travel. During that time, the culture of traveling was advancing to another level and creating an agency of travel goods that are well-equipped for our fast-moving path to our next destination.

The next generation of suitcases are here, and they're automated, sleek, fast-rolling, zipper-less, or have high-speed wifi and outlets embedded within its mold. For most, they've expanded to digital lengths and landscapes to connect with their travelers — nowadays, even luggage companies have 500K Instagram followers. But for LOJEL, they take a standard practice and approach to modern-made luxury luggage while focusing on design and innovation. LOJEL tells a story for its travelers that they don't have to, and creates a community while doing so.

Interview by Tiana Randall
Photos courtesy of LOJEL

LOJEL began in Japan in 1989 by Chih Chang Chiang, a designer who rose in the luggage industry at a young age with a simple sewing machine, making leather bags which he sold at markets. From there, it expanded to a global brand for global travelers with four different lines of suitcases, three different silhouettes of bags, and a myriad of organization travel accessories that will keep the little life you have in a suite case zipped up.

Personal favorites and well-celebrated silhouettes feature "The Cubo." The Cubo is their easy packing line of luggage that is highly protective suitcase with high volume that features a clever flat-top opening with an expandable compartment that gives you full access without taking up space.

Besides the products they offer, LOJEL contributes new concepts about what brands should offer, one that goes past transactions and builds communities. "LOJEL finds inspiration for all designs through a transparent, direct digital dialogue with travelers. Unlike other travel-ware brands, LOJEL conducts an honest and forthright conversation that addresses the reality of modern travel and offers an interactive platform for travelers to connect in a more meaningful way." says the brand. Through this, they have continued the conversation surrounding travel through their "journal" platform. This platform creates a space for travelers alike to share their experiences about traveling, small hacks, and shortcuts to make this new age of traveling a whole lot easier.

Read our interview with the owner below.

How is Lojel redesigning and re-accommodating to travel after Covid?

To be honest, when travel became irrelevant overnight, so did we. However that massive shock turned out to be the perfect catalyst to question everything we thought we knew, and rebuild from the ground up for a significantly different future. So we’re not looking for a return to the pre-Covid world, but looking to be a part of shaping what’s to come.

What that means is that we no longer define “travel” narrowly. While we will surely see a temporary wave of “revenge travel” as the pandemic wanes, we’re designing for a different definition of travel, one that is more quotidian, more sustainable, more considered.

What are your main level of ethics, and how would you like to see the people who purchase your products exemplify them?

The name LOJEL is actually an acronym standing for “Let Our Journeys Enrich Life”. This past year allowed us to recognize and embrace a wider definition of what “enriching life” can be — one which goes beyond personal enrichment, and extends to as far as planetary health.

The way we approach this challenge is to not to look for easy, superficial gestures, but to find meaningful ways to change the culture of consumerism. For example, how do we help people “buy less, but better”, or how do we empower people to extend the life and value of what they buy from us?

Hopefully this inspires people to look beyond the posturing and ask difficult questions of themselves and other companies they buy from.

What makes Lojel stand out?

That’s ultimately subjective but there are several aspects of who we are and how we do things that make for unique results :

For one, we don’t come from a mono-cultural perspective, but create from a messy dialogue at the intersection of multiple cultures. Our team is in both Hong Kong and Vancouver, Canada and we’re made up of over 10 nationalities.

We’re privately owned so we’re not beholden to shareholders tor venture capital. That allows us to plan in a long-term way and ensure our principles guide the way.

There are many other factors for sure, but what makes LOJEL unique is our culture and perspective.

What is the inspiration behind the silhouettes and colorways?

Our silhouettes are driven by a desire for stylistic durability, so that they can live a long life above the ebb and flow of seasonal trends.

Our colorways are broadly categorized into three palettes: Earth, Shore and Urban, all of which represent different styles of travel, and are also informed by varying terrains around the world.

There’s a trend of technological advancements merging with luggage companies, are you following the lead as well?

Well, digital technology is merging with everything in our lives so what’s happening in luggage is just another manifestation of that broader trend.

We take an objective view of technology though — it can be cool, but it needs to be applied meaningfully, thoughtfully and definitely not as a gimmick. As far as objects go, luggage is something that is supposed to be durable, resist impact, and generally have a lifespan of 10 years if not more — so you need to question the logic of slapping on delicate electronics that can break or go obsolete in a few years. That doesn’t make sense to us.

Where digital technology plays a role for us is in the broader experience we can create. Our products are just one part this larger experience and that is a more meaningful way to make a “smart” product.

How do you feel like these technological advancements are going to help/ hinder “Smart traveling”?

What we make at LOJEL is about empowering people, and technology should be the same.

Digital technology has a growing role to play but “smart traveling” is more than than the latest gimmick. Ultimately, perfect conditions rarely exist in the world, so we prefer to create versatile solutions that anticipate and adapt to a wide range of uses and conditions.

Where would you love to see Lojel in 5 years?

Given all the turbulence in the world as of late, simply surviving would be a massive achievement!

Ultimately though, we want to be a part of shaping the world for the better. So if some of the work we produce can result in meaningful and positive impact, it would be very gratifying.

Culture

The Club Is Coming to the Stage

We enter and make our way to what is approximately front left of the DJ booth, where we’re accustomed to dancing at clubs in New York. “So is this a techno club or a dance performance?” yells an uncertain participant in my boyfriend’s ear. He laughs, bouncing along to Ben UFO, and yells back, “It’s both!” The club has long been a hot topic in European contemporary dance but it is only now making its way into New York performance venues, largely through transatlantic tours. R.O.S.E. follows recent examples like Michele Rizzo’s HIGHER xtn. at MoMA PS1 (May 2024), (LA)HORDE’s Room with a View at NYU Skirball (October 2023), and Gisèle Vienne’s Crowd at BAM (October 2022).

Do these performances compromise the club’s spirit — a space idealized for its anonymity, dark lighting, and thundering music? The notion of the club as a utopian escape is admittedly just that — an ideal — because of how its intense conditions can create barriers to entry. Still, the club remains sacred for many, a place to forge connections and embrace an alternative state of being. Looking at how performances transfer this spirit to new settings reveals what aspects of the club are essential and those that aren’t.

Sharon Eyal, R.O.S.E. 2024. Photography by Stephanie Berger, courtesy of Park Avenue Armory.

Eyal’s dancers make their entrance. The lighting shifts from roving blue to yellow spotlights as Ben UFO’s tracks transition to more melodic beats. Clad in deconstructed lace Dior lingerie with dark red tears painted on their faces, the dancers move cautiously in a tightly maintained pack, slicing paths through the horde with hoof-like steps and jerky leg extensions. After around ten minutes of this controlled choreography, the dancers vanish as the lighting shifts back to blue and Ben UFO picks up his dubby beats. The club, as we knew it, resumes. This cycle of tightly executed movements and free-flowing club-goers repeats several times, each time emboldening the dancers to plunge further into the crowd.

Clubbing in a building once built for the U.S. Army National Guard on Manhattan’s Upper East Side turns out to be surprisingly successful — at least for the audience. What starts as an awkward, scattered group searching for their non existent seats gradually gels into an engaged, bouncing crowd that erupts in cheers each time the dancers enter and exit. Performance patrons who might never step foot in a club find themselves swept up in its potential for communion, moving in unison with fellow ticket holders. But it isn’t until the very end of R.O.S.E. that the dancers finally break free from Eyal’s choreography and join the fired-up audience in a brief moment of improvisatory movement with the music. By keeping her dancers at arm’s length, Eyal seems more interested in the club as a backdrop for her signature movement style than wholly as a space with meaningful stories to be told.

Michele Rizzo, HIGHER xtn. 2024. Photography by Cameron Kelly courtesy of MoMA PS1.

Back in May, I attended Wire Festival, a multiday electronic music event at Knockdown Center that had no shortage of organically united dancefloors. It attracted a crowd of seasoned ravers who were eager to celebrate the start of spring as they danced alongside DJs who played well into the daylight. I left Wire in an afternoon daze to see Michele Rizzo’s HIGHER xtn. at MoMA PS1. My sleepless euphoria only deepened as the performance unfolded, starting with a lone dancer who looked plucked out of the festival.

The dancer, dressed in sneakers, baggy jeans, and a tight tank top, shuffled slowly into the gallery, perfectly in sync with the looping bars of an understated electronic melody. Soon, other dancers, clad in the same staple rave uniform, joined him — each having traveled from Europe for the U.S. museum debut of HIGHER xtn., which premiered at the Stedelijk in Amsterdam in 2018 and quickly became a fixture at kunsthalles and festivals across the continent. As the score’s tempo climbed, the choreography locked into a 16-count sequence, which the dancers executed with precise synchrony. They remained intensely focused, never making eye contact with each other, as they sought release in the endless repetition of synthesized beats. Once the dancers reached their limit, they stopped the sequence and exited the gallery, one by one.

HIGHER xtn. used the focused daylight of the gallery to highlight the meditative release found in the repetitive movements that dominate dark dancefloors. The performance’s restraint brought more consistency and intentionality than Eyal’s all-encompassing club construction in R.O.S.E. Yet both performances offer enticing entry points into club culture for those who may not frequent raves. Rizzo’s ecstatic, hypnotic repetitions reveal how the club can mirror other meditative practices, while Eyal’s interpolation of performance and clubbing helped hesitant audience members blossom by the end. Still, both works overlook one of the most underappreciated aspects of clubbing — its potential for individual expression. HIGHER xtn.’s pristine uniformity especially risks promoting the outdated techno trope that there’s a “right” way to dance to electronic music.

Maybe this shortcoming is, in fact, a benefit. For habitual ravers jaded by one too many sunrise sets, it’s a reminder to return to the club with more intention. If you pause and peer through the darkness, you’ll see hundreds of people moving to the same beat, each with their own subtle variations. This collective choreography is a ready-made spectacle that doesn’t need validation in a theater or museum. And when the music shifts slightly, you can watch the ripple effect sweep through the crowd while feeling the new beat in your body. Maybe this small bit of magic is best left on the dance floor.

Culture

Real Slick, Jack: Psyche Organic Arrives in New York

Shop Psyche Organic at Happier Grocery and Dimes. Coming soon to @citarellagourmetmarket @unionmarket @gourmetgarage @deciccos @fairwaymarket plus many more.

Culture

Porsche SCOPES Brings Art, Music, and Design to Toronto

The festival was a full immersion into Toronto’s dynamic creative energy. Day one set the tone with DJ collective Living Room, followed by an experimental performance by Claire Rousay that captivated the crowd. Jewelry designer Steff Eleoff unveiled her Porsche Taycan 4S art car installation—a bold fusion of automotive and wearable art inspired by her Sedona ring—while OVO Sound’s Naomi Sharon and DVSN wrapped up the night with powerful, genre-defying performances.

We witnessed SCOPES Toronto bridging underground and mainstream with day two’s lineup. DJ Korea Town Acid’s set paved the way for Angelphroot and Dameer’s debut of BASSMATI, a track blending South Asian influences with bass-driven sounds. Chippy Nonstop’s return to Toronto and Richie Hawtin’s extended set were milestones of the evening, proving that the city’s underground scene has a global resonance.

The final day featured standout performances from local pianist Harrison, Indigenous artist Tia Wood, and hip-hop visionary Sean Leon, who elevated his set with a live choir. Moonshine Collective’s film and musical performance explored themes of African utopia, showcasing art’s power to bridge culture and technology. Rising Toronto star SadBoi, who paused her tour to perform at SCOPES, further underscored the festival’s commitment to nurturing local talent.

Throughout the weekend, we experienced installations from artists like Mitsu Mitsu and culinary creations from Bar Mordecai, capturing the multifaceted creativity Porsche SCOPES brought to Toronto. This milestone 10th edition, open to all, allowed Toronto’s vibrant arts scene to thrive, underscoring SCOPES’ mission to celebrate local talent while connecting it to a global audience.

office had the chance to connect with rising star SadBoi ahead of the event. In our conversation, she shared insights into her creative journey and reflected on what performing and growing up in Toronto means to her and her work.

How are you, and where are you at right now? You told me you were traveling.

Um, I’m good, I’m feeling really good right now. I’m traveling back to Salt Lake City. I had a show yesterday in Seattle. I’m on tour right now with Coco and Claire.

How is touring life treating you? Do you like it?

I love being on the road. To be honest, I feel like I don’t know—like I’ve had good experiences and bad ones—but this time it’s really fun, especially with the people I’m surrounded by. It’s also the longest tour I’ve been on; I have about four more weeks to go. I’m trying not to think about how many days I have left.

Do you feel homesick?

Yes, because when I start thinking about how many days are left, I start to miss my dogs. I’ve just been trying to stay in the moment—I don’t even know what day of the week it is, to be honest with you.

Oh, sweet! What are your dogs’ names?

Jillian and Winston. I know, they’re crazy names.

You’ll be performing at SCOPES in Toronto, which is where you grew up. Do you feel like the crowd is different when you perform in Toronto compared to other cities?

Yes, I mean, Toronto just feels different because it’s home. Every time I come back to perform, something in my career has changed. The last time I performed in Toronto, people just wanted to have a good time, and I’m excited to perform back home again to see everyone’s reactions. I know it’s going to be different from the last time. It’s exciting to see your own growth. Toronto is a tough crowd, though. If we’re with you, we’re really with you.

So, they’re super picky? You have to gain their respect, or what is it?

I think Toronto people are in their own world, but when something really connects with them, they’ll lose themselves in the moment. But it takes something to bring them out of that. Toronto crowds are tough because even if they like you, they won’t show it outright until they’re really vibing with you.

It’s like a vibe check, right?

Exactly. They’ll enjoy your performance, but it’s hard to explain. When people visit Toronto, they often say, “Oh, you guys are so nice,” and I’m like, “I don’t think we’re that nice, we’re just polite.” Like, you can walk down the street, and no one will say anything, but it’s just our mannerisms.

You mentioned Toronto can have a moody energy, especially at night, and that the underground night scene there really inspires you. Can you talk more about what makes Toronto's nightlife so influential for you?

Absolutely, Toronto has this unique energy that comes alive at night. Similar to New York, there are the popular clubs everyone knows, but you need to find your niche—the people who know where the real parties are. I remember going to raves in high school yards, sneaking in because I wasn’t old enough. Events like Baby, Jerk!, and Yes Yes Y’all were pivotal, exposing me to DJs blending dancehall with EDM—something I hadn’t seen before. Toronto nightlife is moody and intense, but when everyone’s out, it’s like the whole city is alive.