PHANTOM ORIBE: A BESPOKE ROLLS-ROYCE PHANTOM IN COLLABORATION WITH HERMÈS

“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. 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. It has been an
extraordinary privilege to unite on such a creatively challenging,
technically demanding commission and bring our client’s remarkable vision so
beautifully to life.”
Torsten Müller-Ötvös, Chief Executive Officer, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

“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.”

Axel de Beaufort, Design and Engineering Director, Hermès Bespoke Division
“This unique Phantom is a fusion of East and West, ancient and modern,
serenity and exhilaration. It was a great creative and cultural exchange
working with Hermès; we learned a great deal from each other. It is always a
pleasure when a client brings us a bold, clear and imaginative vision, and a
great thrill to see it realised so perfectly.”
Michael Bryden, Lead Designer, Rolls-Royce Bespoke Collective

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars has co-created a magnificent Bespoke Phantom in a
unique collaboration with Hermès. Designed and handcrafted by a combined
team of Bespoke specialists at the Home of Rolls-Royce at Goodwood, West
Sussex, and Hermès in Paris, Phantom Oribe reflects the personality and
passions of its owner, Japanese entrepreneur Yusaku Maezawa. The client
envisioned the car as a ‘land jet’, bringing the serene exclusivity of
private air travel to the road.

The car’s striking two-tone exterior matches the characteristic green and
cream glazes of antique Japanese Oribe ware, of which Maezawa-san is a
prominent collector. The upper part is finished in Oribe Green, a fully
Bespoke colour created exclusively for the client; in an unusual move,
Rolls-Royce has made the paint available for use on the client’s private jet
the Phantom will be paired with. Developed over many months by specialists
in the Surface Finish Centre at Goodwood, it perfectly captures the
lustrous, deep-green glaze that characterises these 16th century ceramics.
The effect is beautifully completed by the cream-white lower section.

The Oribe ware-inspired colourway harmoniously continues through the
interior, created and realised through a true meeting of minds between
Hermès designers and craftspeople in Paris, and the Rolls-Royce Bespoke
Collective of designers, engineers and craftspeople at Goodwood in West
Sussex. Together, they applied their shared expertise and ingenuity to
ensure every individual component embodies the finest traditions of both
houses.

The interior is finished predominantly in Hermès Enea Green leather,
extending to details that include the immediate touch-points of the client;
for example, the steering wheel, duchess handles, gear selector and the
rotary controls for the motor car’s climate settings.

The Hermès leather flows 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 a sign of the project’s truly
collaborative nature, and the two makers’ mutual esteem, the glove
compartment lid is embossed with the signature Habillé par Hermès Paris.

Delicate Hermès piping adorns the headrest cushions and calf supports of the
rear seats, while soft Seashell White accents and matching lambswool floor
mats create a sense of light and space throughout.
The interior is also replete with examples of Rolls-Royce Bespoke design and
handcraftsmanship. Wooden speaker frets, for example, are formed by
meticulously perforating the Open Pore Royal Walnut veneer applied to the
doors, creating a seamless, textured aesthetic and delicate haptics. Open
Pore Royal Walnut is additionally applied to the centre and rear consoles
and picnic table backs; in another first for Rolls-Royce, the interior
features Hermès ‘Toile H’ canvas on the door armrests, centre and rear
consoles and, most notably, the signature headliner.

Hermès brings its distinctive equestrian heritage and innovative
craftsmanship know-how to the car, with the leather upholstery created using
stitching and edge-painting techniques originally employed by master
saddlers. For Phantom’s Gallery, a feature unique to Rolls-Royce, that runs
the length of the motor car’s fascia, Hermès commissioned an artwork based
on a design by the celebrated French artist and illustrator Pierre Péron
(1905–1988) who created many of the House’s iconic scarves. The work,
inspired by the famous Hermès horse motif, is hand-painted on Open Pore
Royal Walnut and is presented as though staged in an art gallery, behind
glass.

Torsten Müller-Ötvös added, “This majestic and tasteful Rolls-Royce Phantom
demonstrates what is possible when talented people from two of the world’s
great houses work closely together alongside a far-sighted, inspirational
client like Maezawa-san. It is a meeting of minds, expertise, visions and
skill that represents the very best of our respective craftspeople and
capabilities.”