Travel in style with a custom patterned trolley
- Lene Kieberl
- Aug 6
- 3 min read
Updated: Aug 7
Okay, so you're not paranoid about being picked out for a thorough airport security check because you don't run around with weirdly patterned clothes and carry-ons? More's the pity! Here's why you might still consider giving a touch of individuality to your luggage:
Stick out like a sore thumb!
If you thought my trials end past the security check, think again. I don't like traveling, I really am happiest on coming back and closing that door behind me to collapse on our sofa. But when I do travel, I like to help my neurodivergent brain and travel in style: With a custom patterned trolley.
Because another pain point is, of course:
The luggage belt.
You kinda remember what that beaten-up normcore gray trolley of yours looked like, but it might just be doing the third loop already (Was it really THAT frayed? Nah, that can't be mine.... or is it?). Well, no more of that for me, friends!
I'm not quite sure when the need to cover even my luggage in patterns arose, but what can I say, it did. I went online to see what could be done about that. And I found a very simple and satisfying way to do it. There are companies producing change-cover photo trolleys in different sizes out there. I opted for a dutch one and went for cabin-size. While the idea was to personalise your luggage with photos of your cats, dogs or loved ones, my mind immediately jumped to two things:
More space for my patterns! And a rolling calling card, of course.
For me as a designer, being visible is a hard grift, social media is getting weary and unwieldy fast. So I decided to choose some of my favorite patterns and plonk a qr code to my portfolio website on a visible area of the front cover! Here's what happened:
I see my carry-on from a mile away now. No more insecurities about picking the right one off the luggage belt. I feel less depersonalised amidst a sea of people. And I can choose my trolley covers according to moods and seasons, the colors of my business outfits or send messages about where I am heading. Yes, I travel covered in mushrooms come autumn, I kid you not.
You might not be ready to be covered in shrooms, but you might want a custom patterned trolley anyway!
It's as simple as unzipping an inner compartment of your trolley and placing a printed-out photo against the transparent acrylic front cover. High gloss photo paper, minimum 230g in poster format 43x57cm. You simply cut it to size with the photo template that comes with your trolley, if you want to do it yourself. OR you can do as I did and design your photo trolley online and let them print it on a rollable 0,4 mm polypropylene sheet which is UV- and water-resistant and pre-cut into shape. I ordered a variety of my patterns for less hassle and a more professional finish. I actually take along 2 or 3 covers and change them for the journey home or in between to match the mood.
The surprising bonus: It's a really fun way to meet people! There is the female gaze, and then there is the weirdo gaze. Whenever I turn up with my patterend trolley, I turn heads, and it's usually the right ones.
My patterns start conversations.
So if you now feel you or a soon-to-be-gifted dear one need a personalised trolley matching your moods and outfits: just drop me a line and I'll be glad to send you where that's possible. Or I can take that work off your hands and craft one for you, patterned with your favorite lenes_linien design or otherwise!
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