Rolls-Royce, Iris van Herpen create Phantom Syntopia

Rolls-Royce announced that it has collaborated with Iris van Herpen to create Phantom Syntopia, a bespoke, haute couture-inspired Phantom Extended Wheelbase (EWB) luxury saloon.

According to the British luxury automotive brand, the Rolls-Royce Phantom Syntopia draws inspiration from the Dutch fashion designer’s landmark 2018 collection, designed on the principles of biomimicry in which art is inspired by patterns and shapes found in nature. On that note, one of the design highlights of the Phantom Syntopia is its “Weaving Water” theme.

“Phantom Syntopia is the most ambitious, singular, and highly Bespoke Phantom we have ever created, and a clear statement of Rolls-Royce’s standing as a true luxury house. Building on two decades of joint undertakings with the world’s most celebrated design houses, artists, horologists, and jewelers, Phantom Syntopia secures Phantom’s standing as the ultimate blank canvas for Bespoke personalization. In collaborating with internationally renowned designer and Haute Couturière Iris van Herpen, we once again redraw the boundaries of innovation, craftsmanship, and Bespoke possibility; not just for a motor car but across the wider luxury sector,” said Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Chief Executive Officer Torsten Müller-Ötvös.

Staying true to its bespoke nature, the Rolls-Royce Phantom Syntopia wears a unique paint called Liquid Noir. The one-off paint is said to be iridescent in sunlight and reveals tones of purple, blue, magenta, and gold when viewed at different angles.

The United Kingdom-based marque explained that to achieve this effect, its darkest solid-black paint was overlaid with a finish incorporating a mirror-like pigment, selected for its color-shifting properties.

Further, Rolls-Royce’s bespoke team developed a brand-new technique for applying pigment to the clearcoat — a process that took several months, including over 3,000 hours of testing and validation.

Another notable exterior feature found on the Rolls-Royce Phantom Syntopia is a subtle rendering of the aforementioned Weaving Water motif.

“For this special collaboration, I was inspired by the concept of ‘Weaving Water’ and transformed the sense of being in movement into an immersive experience of fluidity inside the Phantom. I wanted this to become a state-of-the-art experience being overwhelmed by the forces of nature. The powerful movement of the Phantom is woven into the shifting three-dimensional waves inside the car to embody the ingenuity of nature,” van Herpen explained.

“When I met the Bespoke Collective, I discovered that the world of Rolls-Royce is very similar to Haute Couture. Every garment I create is a one-off, tailor-made to my clients’ individual measurements, just like every Rolls-Royce. My clients come to our atelier in Amsterdam for fittings, just as Rolls-Royce clients are invited to Goodwood throughout the design and craft process. On many levels, this collaboration was a natural symbiosis,” the designer added.

Those boarding the Rolls-Royce Phantom Syntopia will be wowed by its Weaving Water Starlight Headliner. Per Rolls-Royce, this eye-catching artwork was crafted using a single sheet of flawless leather, selected from over 1,000 hides.

On close inspection, the unique headliner features precise symmetrical cuts with silver “liquid metal.” According to Rolls-Royce, the same design element was used in van Herpen’s “Embossed Sounds” collection released in the not-so-distant past.

Additionally, the Weaving Water Starlight Headliner features 162 delicate petals made of glass organza, applied by members of van Herpen’s Couture team. Moreover, 187 of the 995 sparkling fiber-optic “stars” were individually placed by hand alongside the artwork; illuminating sequentially, starting from the rear and moving to the front, to create a feeling of movement.

Traces of the Weaving Water theme can also be found in the Rolls-Royce Phantom Syntopia’s Gallery. The luxurious dashboard features 85 petals, all of which were attached by hand by van Herpen’s team.

Similarly, its seats are quilted with a Weaving Water motif. The design, said Rolls-Royce, creates a three-dimensional depth while achieving a smooth, seamless, uninterrupted surface.

And for design continuity’s sake, the picnic basket included in the Rolls-Royce Phantom Syntopia mirrors the Weaving Water artwork on the vehicle’s hood.

“From the very beginning, this truly was a meeting of minds: two luxury houses that share the innovative vision and ambition to transcend the boundaries of luxury design. Together, we further explored the potential of Phantom as a perfect canvas for individualization. Phantom Syntopia literally takes Rolls‑Royce interior design into a new dimension with its immersive, sculptural elements, reinterpreting the elusive fragility of nature’s forms in a perfectly engineered reality,” stated Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Head of Bespoke Design Gavin Hartley.

The Rolls-Royce Phantom Syntopia is also the first vehicle from the esteemed marque to feature an accompanying bespoke fragrance. Its core scent, Rolls-Royce said, is cedarwood carefully sourced specially from the clients’ home region.

The scent’s base combines powdery notes of Iris, obtained using a fluid extraction technology, with added hints of leather, blended with rose from Patagonia and mild lemon.

A specially-developed scent-releasing mechanism is housed within the headrests, which releases the perfume in the cabin.

To top it all off, Rolls-Royce announced that van Herpen will design a one-off garment for the clients of this transformative commission.

This exquisite garment, reflective of van Herpen’s newly developed Haute Couture techniques, is expected to take around six months of work, including pattern development, crafting and applying the petals, embroidery, fitting, and tailoring.

Photos from Rolls-Royce

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