In a luxury collaboration of epic proportions, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars has teamed up with Parisian fashion house Hermès to design the Bespoke Phantom Oribe for billionaire Yusaku Maezawa.
“This magnificent expression of our pinnacle product represents a landmark for Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, bringing together two houses with more than three centuries’ combined experience and heritage,” commented Torsten Müller-Ötvös, Chief Executive Officer of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. “It is the result of a deep, genuine collaboration between the Houses of Rolls-Royce and Hermès, in which designers, materials specialists and skilled craftspeople worked side by side to create a truly one-of-a-kind Phantom.”
In creating the Phantom Oribe, the two luxury powerhouses were given a vision of the car as a ‘land jet’, bringing the serene exclusivity of private air travel to the road, while reflecting the personality and passions of the Japanese entrepreneur.
As a prominent collector of antique Japanese Oribe ware, the car sports a striking two-tone exterior which matches the stoneware’s characteristic green and cream glazes. The lower section features a cream-white shade, while the upper part is finished in Oribe Green – a fully Bespoke colour created exclusively for this car. And in an unusual move, Rolls-Royce also made the paint available for use on Maezawa’s private jet the Phantom will be paired with.
The Oribe ware-inspired colourway continues into the interior, finished predominantly in Hermès Enea Green leather. This extends to details that include the immediate touch-points of the client, such as the steering wheel, duchess handle, gear selector, and the rotary controls for the motor car’s climate settings. Aside from the Hermès leather flowing around the upper instrument panel, interior pillars, and parcel shelf, it also enrobes less visible surfaces including the glove compartment and luggage compartment lining, centre console, decanter stowage compartment, and Champagne cooler. In recognition of the project’s collaborative nature, the glove compartment lid is embossed with the signature Habillé par Hermès Paris.
Other details by the fashion marque is the delicate Hermès piping which adorns the headrest cushions and calf supports of the rear seats. Soft Seashell White accents and matching lambswool floor mats create a sense of space and light throughout the car.
In honour of Hermès’ equestrian heritage and innovative craftsmanship know-how, the leather upholstery was created using stitching and edge-painting techniques originally employed by master saddlers. For the Phantom’s Gallery which runs the length of the motor car’s fascia, Hermès also commissioned an artwork based on a design by renowned French artist and illustrator Pierre Péron – who created many of the fashion brand’s iconic scarves. The work was inspired by the famous Hermès horse motif, hand-painted on Open Pore Royal Walnut and presented as though staged in an art gallery behind glass.
“We are really delighted to see this bespoke car come to life after a remarkable journey of creation and craftsmanship conducted hand in hand with both of our houses. We are proud to have contributed to creating a unique and contemporary expression of our client’s vision, thanks to our spirit of innovation, the quality of our materials and the know-how of our craftsmen, who have developed, amongst other things, unique stitching and upholstery techniques for the interior of the car and a hand painting technique for a bespoke gallery. It has been a real pleasure to work alongside the Rolls-Royce experts and to see how this car expresses all the values that Hermès cherishes every day,” added Axel de Beaufort, Design and Engineering Director of Hermès Bespoke Division.
Photos: Rolls-Royce Motor Cars
