ROLLS-ROYCE PHANTOM: A NEW EXPRESSION


• Rolls-Royce Motor Cars announces a new expression for Phantom Series II
• Adaptations to the eighth-generation Phantom include ‘light-touch’ visual and aesthetic enhancements in line with client requests and feedback
• New ‘Rolls-Royce Connected’ feature seamlessly links Phantom with the marque’s private members’ Application, Whispers
• Launch is commemorated with a new Bespoke masterpiece, Phantom Platino

“Phantom occupies an unrivalled position at the very apex of the luxury world. As our pinnacle product, it represents the very best of Rolls-Royce design, engineering and craftsmanship – a perfect blend of vision, creativity, the finest materials, skill, patience and precision. With Phantom Series II, we have retained and carefully protected everything our clients love about this superlative and luxurious item; subtle, yet meaningful enhancements reflect their evolving tastes and requirements.
“Phantom has always been viewed as the ‘best car in the world’: our Bespoke capabilities mean that, for our clients, it can be the best car for their world, too.”

Torsten Müller-Ötvös, Chief Executive Officer, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars
Rolls-Royce products enjoy an expansive lifetime, ultimately becoming timeless expressions of good taste, beauty and luxurious perfection. Phantom occupies a unique, pinnacle position in this regard, being revered for its timeless elegance.
The eighth-generation of Phantom was presented in 2017. In creating the new expression, Rolls-Royce designers and engineers have been guided by the requests of clients, who have implored Rolls-Royce not to make any major changes to an already iconic motor car. In answer to these client demands, only the lightest of design touches, embellishments, and adaptations have been incorporated. Indeed, it is not about what should be changed, but in fact, what should be preserved and protected.

A NEW EXPRESSION
The most obvious and important feature to be retained is Phantom’s commanding presence. This has been further enhanced by a new polished horizontal line between the daytime running lights above the Pantheon Grille. This gives Phantom a new and assertive modernity, reflecting its driver-focused character.
A subtle geometric change to the Pantheon Grille makes the ‘RR’ Badge of Honour and Spirit of Ecstasy mascot more prominent when viewed from the front. The grille itself is now illuminated, a feature debuted and popularised in Ghost. The headlights are graced with intricate laser-cut bezel starlights, creating a visual connection with the Starlight Headliner inside, and adding further surprise and delight to Phantom’s night-time presence.

The side profile is further enhanced with a suite of new wheels. A 3D, milled, stainless steel wheel with triangular facets is available to commission in a fully or part-polished finish. Alternatively, Phantom may be graced with a truly elegant disc wheel, recalling the romance of 1920’s Rolls-Royce motor cars. This disc wheel is produced in both polished stainless steel and black lacquer, perfectly encapsulating the sense of flight on land.

Responding to Phantom clients who have previously requested a darkened chrome grille surround, black bonnet reins, windscreen surround and side frame finishers, these may now be commissioned. This aesthetic now enables Rolls-Royce to transform Phantom into the lightest of light or the darkest of dark appearances.
Phantom’s sumptuous interior remains almost unaltered: the steering wheel has been made slightly thicker, providing a more connected and immediate point of contact for the owner-driver.

Phantom and Phantom Extended have distinct characters of their own, representing two different seats of power. Phantom is now predominantly favoured by the ever-increasing number of clients wishing to be in the driving seat themselves. For those preferring to command the road from the rear seat, Phantom Extended offers the definitive super-luxurious chauffeur-driven experience.

ROLLS-ROYCE CONNECTED
Now, Phantom includes the debut of ‘Rolls-Royce Connected’. This enables the owner to send an address directly to the motor car from Whispers, the Rolls-Royce private-members’ Application, providing seamless navigation to an event, restaurant, dealership or even the Home of Rolls-Royce itself.
‘Rolls-Royce Connected’ also displays the motor car’s location, security status and current ‘health’ condition on Whispers; at the touch of a button, the owner can contact a preferred dealership for any servicing requirements or information about the car.

THE ‘POLES OF LUXURY’
As the marque’s pinnacle product, Phantom attracts an elite stratum of Rolls-Royce clients. Established and successful, at the top of their field and often in the public eye, these are determined and demanding people. It is no coincidence that Phantom attracts the most ambitious and challenging Bespoke commissions ever undertaken by Rolls-Royce.

PHANTOM PLATINO: THE RETURN OF FINE TEXTILES
To mark the introduction of Phantom Series II and to illustrate Rolls-Royce’s Bespoke capability, the marque has created a new Bespoke masterpiece, Phantom Platino, named after the silver-white finish of the coveted and precious metal, platinum.
Phantom Platino continues Rolls-Royce’s exploration into fabric interiors, a story which began in 2015 with the launch of Serenity, a truly Bespoke Phantom with a hand-painted, hand-embroidered silk interior. Heralding the next step in this significant journey, Phantom Platino introduces materials other than leather, an area of exploration for Rolls-Royce and a move that demonstrates a greater acceptance of alternative interior upholsteries.

Echoing the marque’s formative days, the front seats of Phantom Platino are finished in fine Rolls-Royce leather, while those in the rear are upholstered in fabric.
The beautiful tone-on-tone of Platino’s interior is achieved by combining two differing fabrics; one created in an Italian mill for its durable yet luxurious appearance, the other derived from bamboo fibres, selected for its lustrous finish.

Both materials share an original repeating pattern based on an abstract interpretation of the Spirit of Ecstasy. In the silken textile, the design is smaller and woven into the fabric to create a more visually stimulating finish. It also appears in Phantom’s Gallery, right in the occupant’s line of sight, and on key touchpoints such as the armrest and centre console. The bamboo fabric is embroidered with larger icons, presenting a tufted appearance commonly found in interior design. This more resilient material is placed on the lower elements of the interior where they will need to withstand most contact.
The same design also appears on Phantom’s dashboard timepiece. The surround is made from a 3D printed ceramic, a truly contemporary execution of a traditional material. Set into an iced finish woodset, the tonal properties of the interior take Phantom to a beautiful and unsurpassed level of opulence.

The largest canvas in Phantom is the Starlight Headliner. In a unique design created especially for Rolls-Royce Platino, the ‘stars’ are placed to draw the eye rearwards, with whimsical shooting stars following the sweeping arc of the pattern.

Torsten Müller-Ötvös, Chief Executive Officer, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, says, “We are acutely conscious of our clients’ esteem for and love of their Phantoms. They felt it could not be improved; but while naturally respecting that view, we believe it is always possible, indeed necessary, to gently go further in our pursuit of absolute perfection. .”
“The subtle changes we have made for the new Phantom Series II have all been minutely considered and meticulously executed. As Sir Henry Royce himself said: ‘Small things make perfection, but perfection is no small thing’.”

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Hong Kong

Steve’s First Exclusive Social Lounge in Hong Kong Especially Curated to the Unique Preferences of Luxury Connoisseurs

Steve Leung Design Group Debuts Club C+

Steve Leung Design Group (SLD) is thrilled to unveil the much-
anticipated Club C+: nestled in the vibrant neighbourhood of Central district and among Hong Kong’s most exclusive venues, this premium private social lounge unfolds a unique journey of exquisite discoveries to a limited membership carefully selected by referral only. Mr. Steve Leung, Founder of SLD, tastefully translated his highly personal and signature aesthetics into a refined lifestyle space, blending Chinese contemporary design and British accents into a speakeasy-inspired venue to host the most exclusive clientele and prestigious private events.

An Intimate Setting Embracing Visual Excitement and Flexible Functionality
The name ‘Club C+’ subtly recalls the hidden meaning of ‘private home’ in Chinese (私家), emphasizing the secluded privacy and utmost comfort of this exclusive space, where luxury connoisseurs can indulge and bond over traditional Cantonese delicacies, fine wines, rare cigars, and exceptional art pieces.

“Club C+ is my personal design interpretation of a comfortable home-from-home, a one-stop lifestyle destination where culture elites can savour the finest things in life,” explains Steve. The secretive journey begins with a subtly illuminated Club C+ logo designed by Alan Chan, a celebrated Hong Kong designer, guiding members down to the discreet entrance set against a mysterious black façade. Venturing inside, generous floor-to-ceiling windows consist of progressive layers of apricot colour-filtered panels and bronze steel metal meshes which immediately showcase the daily lives of the picturesque Duddell Street Steps, exuding a retro and cinematic consciousness into the ambiance – a reinterpretation of signature Hong Kong movie scenes in concept. The sophisticated yet practical design responds to the refined needs of its members, offering secluded privacy at each time of the day, with the mood of the setting
constantly enhanced by the exposure to the passing-by of natural light through day and night.

The design also plays an intriguing inside/out game: pedestrians can only imagine how the inside looks like, whereas members can have a full picture of the happenings outside without being seen. SLD ingeniously frames the layout with a thoughtful distribution of social areas to meet different demands of usage. Featuring two premiere lounges with contrasting colour combinations, each zone is designed for small group gatherings and connects seamlessly to a private dining room dedicated to hosting up to 12 guests in an intimate and upscale setting. The open-pore mahogany wood sliding panels with the bead-blasted black metal screen over frosted glass serve as a subtle transition between the areas, optimizing the spatial fluidity and overall space utilization. When the panels are closed, a Chinese Moon Gate is formed, resembling the archetype of a pedestrian passageway in traditional Chinese gardens. Club C+ deliberately customises a lavishly furnished cigar humidor room behind the bar, housing premiere cigars from different terroirs in symmetrical cabinets to add extra glamour to the ultimate lounge experience.

To transform Club C+ into a truly immersive escape, Steve especially partnered with Tino Kwan -among the world’s most celebrated lighting design masters, to select a range of decorative lightings that endow the settings with vivid shades and accentuated personality. Paying close attention to the most sophisticated detailing and performance, the elaborate lighting solutions present a bespoke functional beauty with respect to classic Oriental and British aesthetics.

An Exquisite Interpretation of Deluxe Comfort with the Finest Artistic Touch
Contemporary elegance lays at the heart of the members-only lounge which holds art and private comfort as two of its most distinctive features. As an avid collector of art and beautiful things at large, Steve stages his beloved contemporary artwork collection at Club C+ to reimage a personal gallery with collectible pieces for exclusive appreciation. The art selection originates from legendary Asian masters, including Lalan – a pioneer figure in integrated arts, Li Huayi – among today’s most important Chinese ink painting masters, Zhou Chunya – renowned Chinese artist known for his iconic Green Dog series, and Kim Tschang-yeul – regarded as one of the greatest
contemporary Korean painters. The masterpieces infuse a distinctive sense of artistry throughout each corner of Club C+, inviting members to stretch their imagination in an artistic realm.

Artworks are changed on a regular basis to ensure a constant element of surprise and unique stories to tell, with some of the carefully-handpicked pieces also available for personal acquisition. Steve endeavours to create a relaxed and connective space where exceptional experiences spanning from gastronomic adventures, curated art exhibitions and inspiring conversations with high-achievers across multiple disciplines can be expected. Conveying a strong sense of intimate privilege and exclusive belonging, Club C+ provides a bespoke retreat from the hectic urban lifestyle.

Interior Design Trends – Tom Dixon – The Home of Extraordinary Objects

Tom says, ‘We’ve all seen dichroic effects – maybe on cheap novelty sunglasses in Camden Market or on the surface of early roman glass in the British Museum, but I know that it’s a finish that has always fascinated me.

The emergence of Modern Dichroic thin film filters, which split white light into its component colours is the work of the engine of extreme innovation, NASA. So, when we looked at updating MELT – our most successful light, rather than offering a new shape, a new size, or a new colour, we decided to instead filter the light with a dichroic filter.’

Tom Dixon

The Melt lights are created through a process of blow-moulding and vacuum metallisation to achieve melted orbs with abundant and unusual luminosity. Using injection blow-moulding, a melted plastic polymer-moulding is injected into a massive precision-made steel tool, inflated with compressed air and then cooled. The mirror finish of each pendant is then created by the highly technical process of vacuum metallisation.

Maybe the unexpected combination of soft organic shapes with high-tech metal vapour deposition is one of the reasons that the Melt lamp has become such a hit product. Or possibly the complex and ever-changing internal reflections that are created by light bouncing around the uneven internal surfaces. Whatever the attraction is, we wanted to try a few new ways of supporting the lamp – to allow Melt to thrive in alternative environments.

Melt Chandelier, Tom Dixon

So, here we see Melt masquerading as a meteorite explosion, with 12 lamps radiating from a central core. Or, for those who do not have a giant lobby or a 5-metre ceiling, a more reductive approach with Melt balanced on a perfect cone base – in floor lamp, table lamp and bedside lamp versions, in almost perfect small, medium and large variations.

TD MILAN

The Global Resident | Part 1 – Relocation to Andorra, Portugal, and Spain

Global Resident

As restrictions begin to lift all around the world, people are looking closely for investment opportunities. Placing their quality of life at the forefront of their decision making, some of these investments will inevitably mean relocation to a new home – and potentially even a new country. In this three-part series we’ll explore destinations around the world with benefits like residency and citizenship by investment programs, tax incentives, and more, as well as hear from local experts throughout the Sotheby’s International Realty® brand network along the way.

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