SMOOTH OPERATORS
BESPOKE DESIGNER VICTOR BRAUN EXCLUSIVELY SHARES WITH ELITE IMAGES OF SOME OF THE MORE UNUSUAL ROLLS-ROYCE INCARNATIONS
ARolls-Royce executive warns not to walk around the recently-passed Bangkok International Motor Show with Victor Braun. Speaking of his colleague who had flown in from the luxury car manufacturer’s headquarters in England, he says: “He’ll look at things and say, ‘Oh, that’s all wrong. That’s not nice’. His trained eye from Paris makes his taste in art very sharp. He sees things we don’t see.” The 27-year-old Frenchman has been a bespoke designer stationed at Goodwood, where all the Rolls-Royce wizardry happens, just a bit over two years. With a master’s degree in transport design from Paris and previous stints at Hermès and Louis Vuitton, the designer has long been steeped in a background of haute couture and luxury — where his experiences help to turn his customer’s whimsies into a rich reality at Rolls-Royce.
“The only limitation of bespoke is the imagination of the customer,” he says. “The rest we can change.” While the sight of Ghost cars flagging their hotel’s insignia (like The Peninsula) or perhaps an eyebrow-raising pink paint may not be completely unheard of, lesser known is the fact that their bespoke capabilities go far beyond colour selection and a few embroideries here and there. With their very own highly skilled designers, engineers and craftspeople all in Goodwood, commissioned cars today can transform dreams and inspirations into a one-of-a-kind motoring masterpiece. Traditionalists may be happy with mere embroideries of their initials on the seats and the family’s crest painted on the outside, but pictures Braun shows us are a staggering surprise that illustrate how so much more can be achieved.
Some commissions flaunt interiors akin to a high-tech space ship, while another model has a nautical theme that ended up making that Rolls-Royce looking more sailboat than car. Two of its models inspired by Porto Cervo make use of delightfully refreshing hues: an emerald-green exterior, with green precious stones and mother of pearl embedded on the front panel. The other car also inspired by this Italian seaside resort splashes magenta over everything on the inside to capture the coast’s sunsets. The smallest of details such as denim seats, gold cup holders, diamond-encrusted plaques and bespoke audio systems are all satisfiable. Braun’s previous creations include a Thai-commissioned Kochamongkol Ghost which is noticeable thanks to the stylised elephant symbol on the front fenders, but he’s also worked with heavily-themed desires.
“I think the music car was a really strange request and really going into another world,” he answers, when asked about the most unusual thing he’d ever had to design. Specially commissioned by a dealer in Abu Dhabi, the Opus was a collection of 10 cars which take inspiration from the greatest classical music composers, be it Puccini or Vivaldi. Each car has the musical symbols (on the headrest, clock and coachline) as a common thread, but different musical scores are painted on the panel to reflect the songs written by each virtuoso. Regardless, the car remains timeless despite its motifs, following a classic palette of black and white both on the exterior and interior.
At the design atelier in Goodwood, there are 44,000 colour swatches to choose from — or you can even create your own particular shade if it doesn’t already exist. There’s actually a colour swatch called Debra Pink and the lady who commissioned that, called Debra obviously, is the only person in the world who can use that colour. With customers spoilt for choice and free to roam limitlessly, surely there’s got to be some tacky requests. The Frenchman giggles diplomatically.
“We never say no to a customer,” he repeats. “We do make visuals of what we like and we always create other recommendations that are a bit different from what they want too, though. But in the end, it’s their final decision about what they want.”
Even furry steering wheels are possible?
“Yes, even that,” Braun laughs. “It’s something we can look into. We’re always looking into researching new materials. Customers that are coming to the brand are getting younger and it’s something they are interested in. More traditional cars use wood and lacquer but the new generation are more into trends and want something sharper
I THINK THE MUSIC CAR WAS A REALLY STRANGE REQUEST AND REALLY GOING INTO ANOTHER WORLD
and bolder than traditional choices. That’s why the Black Badge came out to such a sensation, it was a request from the new generation.”
Seeing its Southeast Asian debut at the 38th Bangkok International Motor Show, the Black Badge’s retail pricing is said to start from 35 million baht. For bespoke numbers in Thailand, Braun estimates an approximately one-year waiting time for something quite straightforward, while the classical music collection took three years to finish.
“One way to do bespoke is to go to the dealership and ask for what you want, like a family embroidery,” he explains. “Then they’ll send the request to Goodwood and we’ll come back with a few proposals. The other option is to visit the Goodwood factory and the designers there will interview you. We can create the car together by simply talking and we’ll make it the most unique we can to reflect the lifestyle of the customer.”
Understanding how his customers live is a crucial task that Braun takes to heart and his stop in Thailand, even if it was his first visit ever, is part of a string of places to check off, along with Hong Kong, Singapore and the Middle East.
“It’s easier to just come to the place to understand their culture, how they live, the things influencing people, their fashion, trends and contemporary arts. Cultural tours are great for me to understand the regional aspects between Bangkok, Hong Kong and Singapore, so I don’t make any mistakes too.”
Braun reveals that the US may buy the most cars, but the Middle East still rules as the biggest market for bespoke. It was a big bet for the Abu Dhabi dealer to commission 10 musical cars, but unsurprisingly, the designer says the creations were popular and easily sold. All this is credited to simply understanding what the customer’s innermost desires are.
“It was ordered by the dealer first, because the customers don’t always want to wait for the car,” Braun recalls. “They go to a dealer who already has a stock. He meets his customers often and it’s like friends having some coffee or a meal at the restaurant. That’s what it’s all about, to understand their passion and lifestyle before they even ask for it.”