Up Your Travel (and Airport) Game with Away’s Bold New Nordstrom Collab

The Insta-friendly luggage company has released its streamlined suitcases in three fresh shades€”available for a limited time alongside other travel goodies at the department store.

In the age of the double tap, every occasion—no matter how mundane—is an excuse for a photo op. Take the airport arrival for instance, which, prior to 2010, generally consisted of giant shades, your comfiest sweatpants and the hope that you’d make it through security without bumping into anyone you even vaguely know. Now, a photo of you standing outside your terminal, suitcases in hand, or a snap of your feet casually propped up on a carry-on—your boarding pass placed just so that the name of your destination is visible to the lens, obvs—is a proclamation: I am worldly. I am sophisticated. And yes, this is a straight-up flex.Which partially explains why direct-to-consumer luggage company Away has done so well for itself. Since 2015, the NYC–based, women-led biz has amassed an impressive Instagram following thanks to a combination of savvy marketing and streamlined millennial-friendly products that promise quality without breaking the bank. Or, in their words, “first-class luggage at a coach price.”Being a direct-to-consumer brand, however, means that customers, for the most part, have had to rely on blog posts and YouTube reviews before choosing to get their hands on the real thing. But for a limited time, travel aficionados in Vancouver will be able to get up close and personal with Away through a pop-up shop at Nordstrom (799 Robson St.), where an exclusive luggage capsule will be on offer alongside a curated assortment of travel goodies like dinosaur-adorned neck pillows from Typo, packable Baggu totes and on-the-go mouth-rinsing treatments from Keeko.Available in four sizes, the Away pieces (from $290) are coated in bold primary shades that mark a departure from the brand’s preference for more subdued hues. Each one also comes equipped with a built-in ejectable battery for device charging, a TSA–approved lock and a hidden laundry bag. Special black and white versions with coloured zippers will hit the pop-up on January 22.Check out some of our top picks from Nordstrom’s Up and Away pop-up below—and shop the full selection online, if you’re situated outside the Vancouver area.