Rolls-Royce has once again pushed the boundaries of innovation, craftsmanship, and luxury by creating the Phantom Syntopia, the most technically complex Bespoke Phantom ever produced. This masterpiece was created in collaboration with the renowned Dutch fashion designer and haute couturière Iris van Herpen, known for her work in biomimicry, a design principle that takes inspiration from patterns and shapes found in nature.
The Phantom Syntopia takes its name from Iris van Herpen's landmark 2018 collection, which features a series of highly sculptural garments brought to life through movement and seeks to represent the elusive, ethereal beauty of fluid motion in solid materials through its ‘Weaving Water’ theme. The car's exterior is coated with a one-off Liquid Noir paint iridescent in sunlight, revealing undertones of purple, blue, magenta, and gold when viewed at different angles. This effect was achieved through a new technique for applying pigment to the clearcoat, which took several months of testing and validation to perfect.
Upon opening the coach doors, the eye is immediately drawn to the Weaving Water Starlight Headliner, the most technically challenging version of this signature Rolls-Royce feature ever produced. This headliner was crafted using a single sheet of flawless leather selected from over 1,000 hides, and features a silver ‘liquid metal’ texture made from woven nylon fabric used in Iris van Herpen’s ‘Embossed Sounds’ collection. It is finished with 162 delicate petals made of glass organza, applied by Iris van Herpen’s couture team members who traveled to Goodwood to undertake the work, taking nearly 300 hours to complete.
The ‘Weaving Water’ theme continues throughout the unique artwork in the Gallery, which runs the width of the Phantom’s fascia, combining traditional haute couture techniques and innovative visual forms. The design can also be found on the picnic tables, and the passenger panel just below the Gallery achieved through a complex process of combining multiple coats of paint and lacquer containing different quantities of glass particles.
Phantom Syntopia's interior suite incorporates magnificent features that were co-created by the Rolls-Royce Bespoke Collective and Iris van Herpen. The front seats are finished in Magic Grey leather, while the rear seats are upholstered with a specially created silk-blend fabric featuring a distinctive pattern that recalls the patterns cast by light reflecting on water at night. The seats are quilted with a Weaving Water motif, inspired by a tufting technique often employed in fine furniture-making, which creates a three-dimensional depth while achieving a smooth, seamless, uninterrupted surface.
In keeping with the highly innovative approach taken with Phantom Syntopia, it is the first Rolls-Royce motor car to incorporate a Bespoke scent, creating a truly immersive expression of luxury. The fragrance was developed by an expert perfumer in close collaboration with the client and is designed to create a lasting memory. The scent's base combines powdery notes of Iris with added hints of leather, finally blended with rose from Patagonia and a mild lemon. The specially developed scent-releasing mechanism is housed within the headrests and ensures the fragrance is released in suitably delicate doses for a long-lasting, sophisticated sensory experience.
The Phantom Syntopia is truly a one-of-a-kind commission, and Rolls-Royce has undertaken that it will never be replicated. As a unique collaboration between two luxury houses, the Rolls-Royce Bespoke Collective and Iris van Herpen, this masterpiece represents the next chapter in textile exploration, pushing the boundaries of what is possible regarding design, craftsmanship, and luxury. The result is a truly immersive experience that stimulates all the senses and leaves a lasting impression.
