ROLLS-ROYCE MOTOR CARS SHOWCASES TEXTILE DESIGN CAPABILITIES WITH SERENITY

March 3, 2015 by Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

'Take the best that exists, and make it better'. A quotation attributed to one of the founders of the world's most illustrious car manufacturers. Giles Taylor, Director of Design for Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, has done just that. Recognising the trend of individual personalisation and subsequent rise in Bespoke customer commissions, the automotive visionary has complemented the most prestigious Bespoke Design Team in the world by adding outstanding talent from new arenas.

Two young, female, textile design prodigies, Cherica Haye and Michelle Lusby, have joined a collective of the automotive world's finest designers, engineers and craftspeople, tasked with fulfilling the requirements of discerning Rolls-Royce customers who wish to make their cars unique.

This fusion of expertise has led to the creation of a motor car which showcases the pinnacle of both design and automotive luxury, setting a new benchmark in the art of conveyance.

Serenity, a one-of-a-kind Phantom Extended Wheelbase motor car, is a highly crafted modern interpretation of a Japanese Garden, designed by Haye and Lusby. The rear cabin has been created out of hand-painted and hand-embroidered raw silk, depicting an interpretation of a Japanese tree which wraps around the interior of the motor car. Designed specifically for the rear occupants, the highly ornate blossom and petal pattern runs throughout the car, with the emphasis on the opulent headliner.

Haye and Lusby join Rolls-Royce Motor Cars from two of the UK's foremost textile design schools.

'It is imperative that we connect with these designers when their creativity is in abundance, fresh from university and design colleges. Cherica and Michelle bring with them a deep understanding of different textures and applications in design; when combined with the existing expertise of the Bespoke team we can reach new boundaries in automotive design, allowing us to incorporate precious, beautiful and natural materials in our motor cars,' Giles Taylor commented.

'Over recent years we have seen the merging of art forms,' he continued. 'Industries are less segregated and compartmentalised; boundaries are blended between art, design and contemporary culture. Rolls-Royce Motor Cars spans these industries, marrying contemporary vision and skilled craftsmanship with excellence in design and engineering.

'This merging of industries, with luxury at the heart, of which Rolls-Royce Motor Cars is at the core, provides us with an opportunity to offer our customers much more than just a motor car. Taking the finest practises and techniques from these industries allows us to satisfy our customers' requirements, reinforcing Rolls-Royce Motor Cars as the pinnacle of a hybrid of design, fashion and engineering excellence.'

Haye and Lusby reside in the Colour and Materials department. Responsible for designing exterior paint and leather colours as well as interior textures, they select colours and trims which will complement each other, working closely with the exterior and interior automotive designers.

'Colour and Material Design is the common thread throughout every human's life,' says Haye. 'I don't just mean fabric; much of what we take for granted has been designed specifically to create a certain atmosphere or impression, or to evoke a particular emotion. The combination of materials is as important as the design itself; these elements go hand in hand.'

Colour and Materials Designer, Michelle Lusby

Michelle Lusby joined the Rolls-Royce Bespoke Design Team as a Colour and Materials Designer in April 2014, having received a First Class Honours Degree in Interior Textiles & Surface Design from the University of Plymouth. Here she explored print, colour and material manipulation, and gained an understanding of the key properties of fabrics and different printing processes which have enabled her to explore unique ways to apply texture and form to a flat surface, creating finishes that are beautifully unique.

Born into a creative family, Lusby followed in her Grandmother's footsteps and gained experience working for a luxury leather goods company in her home county of Somerset. This ignited a passion for textiles and a keen interest in luxury Interior Design. Lusby's Grandmother was fabled for her fashion illustrations, a skill passed to Michelle who to this day uses hand drawing and sketches to illustrate her ideas and designs.

This creativity is apparent in Serenity, a Phantom Extended Wheelbase, created in the finest quality raw silk, hand painted and hand embroidered with a tree in full bloom, evoking an atmosphere of calm tranquillity. The fabric has been designed to provide texture to the interior of the motor car. Each thread has been hand placed to reflect light and bring the motif to life.

Lusby commented, 'With Serenity we have pushed the boundaries of the concept of Bespoke. We have taken luxury to a new level. The car transcends being a form of transportation and becomes a work of art, demonstrating the constant striving for perfection and an unparalleled pursuit of sourcing the finest materials for the world's best motor car.'

Cherica Haye, Colour and Materials Designer, Bespoke Design

Thirty year old Cherica Haye achieved a Masters Degree in Textile Design from the Royal College of Art, having obtained a BA Honours Degree in Textiles from Central Saint Martin's College of Art and Design in 2011.

Haye was responsible for hand-painting the Serenity motif onto a paper scroll before transcribing it for realisation. 'To go home after work saying I was hand painting today sounds like a dream, something I was warned at both the Royal College of Art and Central Saint Martin's that I would unlikely do when starting out in the industry. It is testament to Rolls-Royce Motor Cars that every element of design is considered, no corners are cut, no compromises made.'

Haye continued, 'I feel a certain amount of satisfaction knowing that the many years spent fine-tuning my creative skills as a Textiles Designer at two of the best Art and Design colleges in the world can pay off. It is a tremendous payback for those long hours and relentless investigation of fabric, textures and finishes.' Haye, a keen cyclist, recognises the importance of exercise in daily routine. 'If I'm physically fit I find it fuels my body to design better.'

As experts in colour and material, the design duo are constantly searching for inspiration. This rarely comes in the form of automotive design, unless as in this case from the annals of Rolls-Royce, but often from Art & Design, current trends, sometimes even societies and cultures.

For Serenity, the women began their research in the marque's rich archive. In the early 1900's, chauffeurs sat on leather, a naturally robust material suited to exposure to the elements. Luxurious fabrics remained the upholstery of choice for the occupants of the rear compartment. Today, as supple leather of the finest quality has become accepted as the norm in luxurious travel, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars re-introduces silk as a sumptuous and highly opulent upholstery on which to reside.

When Haye and Lusby considered the ambience experienced in the rear compartment of a contemporary Rolls-Royce, thoughts turned to the Far East, specifically a Japanese Garden.

'A Rolls-Royce Phantom is synonymous with tranquillity. It is an ambient, calm and peaceful cocoon in an often frenetic world. This evoked notions of the Emperors from the Far East, who would retreat to their private gardens to reflect in solitude under blossom trees,' says Haye.

She continues, 'This lead us to explore the materials and textures used in this culture; silk defined opulence, the colour of the raw silk we used could often be found in robes worn by the Japanese Royal Family, and the Blossom motif in full bloom, which envelops the motor car, is to this day often viewed as a symbol of hope and renewal.'

The exterior paint colour has been specifically designed for Serenity, the most complex and expensive paint ever created by Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. Serene pearlescent hues of the Mother of Pearl paint respond gracefully to light, hinting at the resplendent interior of this one-of-a-kind masterpiece.

The selection of precious substances used throughout Serenity reference the Oriental Influences. The Blossom motif is recreated through the finest marquetry on the rear doors and fascia through the use of Mother of Pearl, laser-cut and hand applied, petal by petal into rare smoked cherry wood. In addition, Mother of Pearl is applied to the face of the clock and driver's instrument dials, etched with concentric circles redolent of the raked gravel seen in Japanese gardens, and set with hand applied precious rubies, echoing the colour of the hand-painted flowers in the silk lining.

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars brings Serenity to this year's Geneva International Motor Show, unveiling the new standard in authentic, bespoke luxury motoring to the world's media.

Photo credit: Rolls-Royce Motor Cars
posted on conceptcarz.com