“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,” declared Torsten Müller-Ötvös, CEO of Rolls-Royce, following the unveiling of Bespoke Phantom Oribe.
Designed and handcrafted by the Rolls-Royce Bespoke Collective in collaboration with Hermès, Bespoke Phantom Oribe reflects the personality and passions of its owner, Japanese entrepreneur Yusaku Maezawa. Envisioned as an extension of his private jet, Maezawa wanted to “replicate the serene exclusivity of private air travel to the road.”
Maezawa’s rise to the billionaire’s club began with the founding of Start Today in 1998, which evolved into Zozotown – Japan’s largest online fashion retail brand. More recently, Maezawa launched the custom-fit apparel brand ZOZO in 2018, noted for its innovative at-home measurement system, the ZOZOSUIT.
The name chosen for Maezawa’s Phantom, Oribe, is borrowed from Oribe-yaki, a type of sixteenth-century Japanese pottery distinguished by its asymmetrical form, freely-applied glaze, and an often-used green and cream colour combination. Maezawa is a prominent and passionate collector of Oribe-yaki. The car’s striking two-tone exterior, therefore, matches the characteristic green and cream glazes of Oribe-yaki.
The upper part of the car is finished in Oribe Green, a bespoke colour created exclusively for Maezawa. In an unusual move, Rolls-Royce has made the paint available for use on Maezawa’s private jet. Developed by specialists in the Surface Finish Centre at Goodwood, Oribe Green captures the lustrous, deep-green glaze that characterises the 16th-century ceramics. This effect is beautifully contrasted by the cream-white lower section.
The Oribe ware-inspired colourway continues through to the interior, where designers, engineers and craftspeople from Hermès and Rolls-Royce’s Bespoke Collective together applied their shared expertise.
The interior is finished predominantly in Hermès Enea Green leather, extending to details that include the owner’s immediate touch-points; 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. 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 to the car with the leather upholstery created using stitching and edge-painting techniques originally employed by master saddlers.
For the Phantom’s gallery, which runs the length of the car’s fascia, Hermès commissioned an artwork based on a design by the celebrated French artist and illustrator Pierre Péron (1905–1988). He designed 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.
Axel de Beaufort, Design and Engineering Director of Hermès Bespoke Division, commented: “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.”
Michael Bryden, Lead Designer of Rolls-Royce Bespoke Collective, added: “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.”
