Callum goes it (not) alone

Recently departed Jaguar design guru sets up a studio

FORMER JAGUAR design chief Ian Callum has launched his own agency, called simply ‘Callum’, within weeks of leaving JLR. The new outfit is described as ‘a collaboration of 18 talented and experienced individuals from art, audio, automotive, fashion, lifestyle and motorsport’ but is unspecific about the sort of products it will specialise in – beyond ‘design, lifestyle and travel’. It has promised details of its first project ‘within weeks’.

Callum, the man behind Aston Martin’s Vanquish, Vantage and DB9, the Ford Puma and Escort Cosworth, Jaguar F-Type, F-Pace and I-Pace, will be joined by three other founding members: David Fairbairn, Adam Donfrancesco and Tom Bird. All have plenty of previous experience in design and business, programme director Fairbairn being the former head of Bespoke at Jaguar’s Special Vehicle Operations and largely responsible for the continuation Lightweight E-types. Engineering director Donfrancesco has previously worked with Noble, Aston Martin and Jaguar, while commercial director Bird has worked in finance as well as the automotive sector.

Launching his new venture earlier this month, an effervescent Ian Callum said: ‘I wanted to get back to the essence of creativity; the challenge of producing something wonderful and personal. To design the alternative has always been my mantra, but always the beautiful alternative. In today’s modern world, collaboration is the catalyst for new ideas, and this is our ethos and inspiration. At Callum, together we aim to create something that we enjoy, which we can then share with the world.’

Fairbairn added: ‘Callum [the company] brings together a highly experienced, skilled and enthusiastic team of people that share the same want: the opportunity and freedom to create and produce products that excite. We love what we do, and we have the passion, collective experience and know-how to create some very special, diverse products across the design, lifestyle and travel sectors.’

The company will be based at a 20,000sq ft facility in Warwick.