Rolls-Royce has unveiled an haute couture collection of Dawn, its convertible motor car, which has been inspired by the world of fashion.

In Dawn’s Spring/Summer 2017 Couture collection, signature detailing in vibrant colours will complement palettes of classic white.

Under the stewardship of Giles Taylor, Director of Design for Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, a team of designers were hand-picked from the worlds of fashion, fine textiles and luxury accessories including textile specialist Cherica Haye from the Royal College of Art and leather technologist Michelle Lusby who previously worked at Mulberry. Their work has seen the incorporation of fine silks and unexpected textures into the interior environment of truly bold and distinctive bespoke commissions. 

In creating ‘Dawn – Inspired by Fashion’, these designers selected the neutral canvas of white upon which to base three vibrant colours that will set the tone for 2017’s Spring/Summer collection; Mugello Red, Cobalto Blue or Mandarin. Subtle accents of these colours adorn interior aspects of each Dawn, whilst the ‘silent ballet’ of the roof as it rises to provide shelter from the paparazzo’s lens unleashes a brushstroke of colour to catch the style-spotter’s eye.

“Our clients are the very arbiters of fashion, tastemakers who sit in the front row of the couture shows, themselves influencing evolving trends,” comments Taylor. “To them, the commissioning of fine luxury objects represents a deeply-involving curatorial process – with different forms of luxury design, craft and execution serving as inspiration for the other. ‘Dawn – Inspired by Fashion’ beautifully expresses the notion that inspiration for truly personal objects is drawn from the passions, tastes and lifestyle of its patron.”  

Like the finest garments, individuality is forged in the subtlest details. On opening the car’s coachdoors, a contemporary Arctic White and Black interior colour scheme is accented by one of the three vivid colours: Mugello Red, Cobalto Blue or Mandarin. The Arctic White leather of the seats is accented through the embroidery of the headrests, as well as the stitching and piping of the seats. Seamless stitching, a highly-complex craft technique from the world of fine tailoring, is applied to the steering wheel to ensure the perfect line joins the two colours of leather around the rim.

Tactility, comfort and quality are important attributes of the piece itself. Rolls-Royce’s designers took inspiration from this approach in appointing the car’s front and rear door pockets with fine silks, adorned with an abstract representation of the Spirit of Ecstasy with each emblem set precisely at 55 degrees to complement the lines of the door.

The legendary Rolls-Royce craftsmanship and attention to detail is apparent through the exquisite dashboard created in Piano White with aluminium particles resulting in a silk-like appearance, with the lacquering process alone taking nine days of meticulous work. This is completed elegantly with the integration of a bespoke clock, set as a piece of jewellery, styled exclusively to emit a silver on silver effect, evoking the metallic fabrics seen on this year’s catwalks in preparation for next year’s season.

Dawn’s exterior colour scheme of Andalucian White is beautifully accented by a hand-painted coachline which drapes over the curve of the car’s hip as the line flows backwards along the car, reflecting the identical splash of colour provided when the soft-top roof is in place.

Clients are invited to commission their personal style statement from this November to ensure they appear wrapped in the latest couture offering from the world’s leading luxury goods house for the new season next year, the UK luxury carmaker says.