Taylor Swift and Joe Alwyn broke up more than three years ago, but apparently, all it takes is one particularly photogenic luggage campaign for the fandom to reopen the (suit)case.
Alwyn stars in RIMOWA's latest campaign, modelling alongside the German luxury luggage brand's new Umber and Ultramarine colourways. No matter how gorgeous and traveller-friendly the new RIMOWA collection is, some viewers seemed significantly less interested in what the actor was packing in a suitcase than in what his famous ex supposedly let get away.
'Taylor fumbled so hard lmao,' one Reddit user declared. Another one came in with an even more filterless observation: 'She traded down.'
Joe Alwyn Packs His Bags for RIMOWA
The new campaign accompanies RIMOWA's latest seasonal additions to its Essential and Groove collections. The new Umber hue channels an earthy brown inspired by the natural pigment, while Ultramarine delivers a vivid, nearly cobalt blue with roots in Renaissance art.
Alwyn fronts the launch in a campaign built around a young artist settling into a new studio and making the space his own. The accompanying imagery places the Conversations With Friends actor amid the collection, including one shot of him sitting beside an Umber suitcase in a red shirt and black trousers while holding a telephone that Gen Z may not be familiar with.
RIMOWA may have been selling luggage, but Reddit quickly found some old relationship baggage to unpack.
Fans Think Taylor Swift 'Fumbled' the Bag
The Reddit comments beneath photos of the campaign rapidly became an unofficial appreciation thread for Alwyn, who dated Taylor Swift for six years before their split was reported in April 2023.
'No one has ever fumbled the bag as hard. Gorgeous man,' one commenter wrote, making the luggage pun almost suspiciously convenient. Another agreed: 'Taylor, you fumbled the bag, girl.'
Others simply focused on Alwyn himself. One Reddit user called him 'so effortlessly handsome' and added, 'It's like he doesn't even have to try.' Another commenter borrowed a description from Swift's own catalogue, writing, 'Swift was right about one thing: he is indeed ✨ gorgeous ✨.'
One Redditor even admitted Alwyn was 'the only time i was ever jealous of her man,' while another who had previously seen him perform on stage in London claimed he was 'even better looking on stage.'
Then there was perhaps the most campaign-specific endorsement imaginable. 'RIMOWA is luggage?? I was fully expecting "ask your doctor if RIMOWA is right for you",' another person joked. 'In which case, yes doctor, I think that would work just fine.'
The Internet Reopens an Old Suitcase
In true internet society fashion, declaring that somebody 'traded down' is entirely a matter of opinion. Swift has since moved on and married Travis Kelce, and Alwyn has largely kept his private life out of the spotlight since their breakup.
That did little to stop commenters from comparing eras, however. Some explicitly brought up Swift's subsequent relationships, while others appeared content to admire Alwyn without turning the campaign into an ex-boyfriend tournament.
The Reddit crowd is currently busy admiring him, so RIMOWA managed to sell one more thing exceptionally well aside from their suitcases: the argument that somebody may have fumbled the bag.
