ROLLS-ROYCE CELEBRATES LONDON CRAFT WEEK: LONDON CALLING

• Rolls-Royce Motor Cars showcases contemporary Bespoke craft at this year’s London Craft Week
• Inspiration taken from London, a global luxury hub
• Three remarkable pieces of craftsmanship will be on display at Rolls-Royce Motor Cars London, for the duration of the event, from 13 to 19 May 2024
  
  

“Craftsmanship lies at the very heart of Rolls-Royce with creativity nurtured at every turn. As a brand synonymous with perfection and craftsmanship, London Craft Week – a celebration of the very best of British craftsmanship – is a truly important occasion in our annual calendar. For the 10th anniversary of the event, I am delighted that our highly talented artisans from the Home of Rolls-Royce at Goodwood have created a stunning portfolio of Bespoke craftsmanship. Appropriately for this tenth edition of London Craft Week, the UK’s capital city has acted as inspiration for these magnificent works of craftsmanship, which celebrate London’s world-famous status as a luxury hub, as well as its rich tapestry of architecture, art, design, and culture. These exquisite examples of creativity and ingenuity will be on display at our flagship showroom in the heart of Mayfair for the duration of the event in May.”
Boris Weletzky, Regional Director – UK, Europe, and Central Asia, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

To celebrate the tenth year of London Craft Week, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars will debut a remarkable exhibition of craftsmanship at the marque’s flagship residence in Mayfair. For this year’s event, the marque has taken inspiration from London, home to some of the most famous luxury locations in the world, many of which themselves are marvellous examples of design and architecture.

Internationally renowned as a luxury capital and as a location that serves as the home for many Rolls-Royce clientele, London is a befitting choice as the theme of this year’s event. A city comprised of many different areas and districts, Rolls-Royce artisans wanted to capture both the modern and traditional culture and style of London, showcasing a rich tapestry of landmarks. There is also a highly potent connection between the marque and London; co-founder, The Hon. Charles Stewart Rolls, was born in Hill Street Mayfair only a stone’s throw from the exhibition, and 14-15 Conduit was the West End headquarters of Rolls-Royce Ltd for much of the twentieth century.

LONDON BONNET

For this year’s event, artisans from the marque’s Exterior Surface Centre have drawn inspiration from the famous haunts of London to create a true work of art: a map of London presented on the magnificent canvas of a Phantom bonnet. This highly Bespoke bonnet, which features over 20 coats of paint and took over 100 hours to complete, showcases the marque’s peerless fluency in craftsmanship. To create the masterpiece, the bonnet was first painted in a base coat of Andalusian White, before a crystal clearcoat was applied and the outlines of the map of London were sketched by a single artist. The next step saw an artisan airbrush the bonnet using a colour gradient technique, to conjure the impression of a focus on Mayfair, the home of the exhibition. After multiple layers of airbrushing, a unique interpretation of some of London’s most recognisable landmarks was meticulously hand-painted onto the bonnet, before the artwork was finalised with a sign-written ‘London’ motif and the careful application of gold leaf highlights.

LONDON ICONS DOOR CARD

Rolls-Royce’s highly skilled artisans from the Interior Trim Centre have created a vibrant door card for the event. This very special Bespoke sample showcases a unique perforated artwork – in total this door card features a staggering 7,700 perforations. A vibrant Turchese leather has been chosen for the base leather on one side of the door. The leather has then been covered with a layer of Scivaro Grey which, when perforated, reveals the Turchese undercolour, conjuring the impression of an aerial view of the River Thames. Similarly, on the other side of the door, a vivacious Lime Green leather has been selected as the base leather colour, uncovered only when tiny perforations in the Scrivaro Grey overcoat create a contemporary yet abstract expression of the city’s world-famous architecture.

PICNIC TABLE

Continuing the London theme, Rolls-Royce’s specialists working in the Interior Surface Centre have created a beautiful picnic table that celebrates some of the city’s most famous buildings. To create this special picnic table, one highly skilled artisan spent over 50 hours cutting, pressing and assembling perfectly tessellated pieces before the picnic table was lacquered.

These unique pieces are indicative of the marque’s fluency in Bespoke and will be displayed in the window of Rolls-Royce’s flagship showroom, Berkeley Street, Mayfair, from 13 to 19 May 2024.