THREE CENTURIES OF COLLECTIVE EXPERTISE CULMINATES IN ONE OF THE MOST STUNNING COLLABORATIONS OF ALL TIME: THE BESPOKE PHANTOM ORIBE FROM ROLLS-ROYCE AND LEGENDARY FRENCH MAISON HERMÈS

BY AMANDA MCCOY

The Bespoke Phantom was designed and crafted by hand in Rolls-Royce’s home of Good wood, England, and Hermès in Paris. This marks the second collaboration between the two mega-brands, the first a custom gray Phantom for the Four Seasons George V hotel in Paris in 2008.

Personalization is netted into the Rolls-Royce ethos. Vehicles aren’t merely built; they’re commissioned, and according to a company statement, every model that left Goodwood, England in the first quarter of 2021 included bespoke elements. From a menu of over 44,000 paint options to personalized insignia engraved into the tread plates, the options are practically boundless. And this isn’t a new direction for the 115-year-old brand Rolls has been custom crafting one-offs since the beginning, such as the 40/50HP Phantom I Brougham De Ville of 1926, designed to emulate the Palace of Versailles for American business tycoon Clarence Warren Gasque.

But for the most discerning of customers, those with the vision, bravura, and financial means to break open the engineers’ creative food gates, the coachbuilder will create truly jaw-dropping originals. Such a client is Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa the financier of the SpaceX dearMoon lunar tourism project that’s slated to take right in 2023 who commissioned his latest ride from two of the most storied nameplates in luxury artistry: Rolls-Royce and French fashion house Hermès. The supercar enthusiast and art collector envisioned a “land jet,” as he’d recently purchased a new private jet and was in the market for a roadside companion to match. Oh, and he wanted the vehicle to pay homage to the 16th century Japanese ceramics he’s long collected, called Oribe wares. Enter the Phantom Oribe, a strikingly elegant amalgamation of East meets West, bygone marries modern.

HERMÈS’ EQUESTRIAN HERITAGE is evident throughout the cabin, and artisans used stitching and edge painting techniques employed by master saddlers. But perhaps the most impressive showcase is the Gallery, a massive piece of Royal Walnut wood that displays two abstractly hand-painted horseheads inspired by Pierre Péron, the artist who created many of Hermès’ famous scarf designs. The illustration is encased in glass as if an art gallery exhibit.

The two-tone paint features a new bespoke color way, fittingly titled Oribe Green, on the upper section of the luxury saloon, juxtaposed by a rich cream lower panel. Traditional Oribe wares were frequently glazed in a deep, lustrous green, and specialists in the Surface Finish Centre in Good wood spent months developing the perfect shade. The color way flows into the interior, finished predominantly in Hermès Enea Green leather, enrobing everything from the steering wheel, duchess door handles, and gear selector to the glove compartment, center console, and decanter stowage compartment. Even the champagne cooler is cocooned in the verdant hide.

The Oribe’s subdued bravado manifests in the countless small but painstakingly thoughtful details. Hermès piping adorns the headrests and calf supports of the rear seats, for instance, and the door armrests, center and rear consoles, and headliner all feature Hermès Toile H canvas. The use of wood trim is simply stunning; huge panels of Open Pore Royal Walnut comprise the doors, rear picnic tables, and consoles. The speaker grilles themselves are etched directly into the wood veneer. The result is opulence without ostentation, an impressive feat for a vehicle inspired by a private jet. A jet that, after Rolls-Royce agreed to release the paint, now dons the same shade of Oribe Green.

EVEN THE AUDIO SYSTEM IS REIMAGINED AS ART.
Rather than use separate metal speaker grilles, Rolls perforated the Royal Walnut wood itself to create genuine wooden speaker frets, creating a textured, mega smooth listening experience.

SUMPTUOUS CREAM TOUCHES
Are used throughout the interior to complement the deep green, including carpets and seats swathed in glove-soft Seashell White leather. Canvas accents in the Hermès famed Toile H motif, made by combining two different color threads to form an “H,” beautifully offset the Enea Green leather.

BENEATH THE BESPOKE ELEGANCE
Still lies a hungry coachman. The Phantom is Rolls-Royce’s flagship, a full-size luxury saloon fed by a twin-turbocharged 6.75L V12 engine with 563 horsepower and 664 lb.-ft. of torque.

Paul Miller Rolls-Royce
250 US-46, Parsippany
973.287.4534 / paulmillerrollsroyce.com