TUMI

TUMI began in 1975 when American entrepreneur Charlie Clifford, recently returned from Peace Corps service in Peru, started importing leather bags from South America under the name TUMI Imports. The brand name comes from the Peruvian tumi, a ceremonial knife that Clifford encountered during his time there, which has since become closely associated with the company’s identity. Over the following decades, TUMI evolved into a leading US-based travel and lifestyle company headquartered in New Jersey, best known for its ballistic nylon luggage and business travel gear.

TUMI’s move into fragrance is a recent chapter. According to multiple industry reports, the brand entered the fragrance market around 2020 in partnership with The Fragrance Group, debuting the men’s scents Awaken [8:00 GMT] and Unwind [20:00 GMT]. These launches explicitly tied the compositions to different moments in a traveler’s day, reflecting the company’s travel-centered positioning rather than traditional fashion roots. In 2024, a press release announced TUMI Experience Collector, described as the brand’s first dedicated women’s luxury fragrance collection, extending the line beyond its initial men’s focus.

Corporate ownership has also shifted over time. Tumi Holdings, Inc. was once controlled by private equity firm Doughty Hanson & Co., went public in 2012, and was later acquired by Samsonite International S.A. in a deal completed in 2016. Despite these changes, fragrance development has remained closely linked to The Fragrance Group, whose founder and CEO Alex Shalbaf has been credited in interviews with helping translate TUMI’s travel ethos into a growing series of perfumes that sit alongside its core luggage and accessories business.