Phantom Syntopia takes its name from Iris van Herpen's landmark 2018 collection, designed on the principles of biomimicry in which art is inspired by patterns and shapes found in nature. Like the collection, which comprises a series of highly sculptural garments brought to life through movement, Phantom Syntopia seeks to represent the elusive, ethereal beauty of fluid motion in solid materials through its ‘Weaving Water’ theme.
To create the stunning, shimmering exterior, the Rolls-Royce Bespoke Collective developed a one-off Liquid Noir paint. Iridescent in sunlight, it reveals Purple, Blue, Magenta and Gold undertones when viewed at different angles. To achieve this effect, the marque’s darkest solid-black paint is overlaid with a finish incorporating a mirror-like pigment, selected for its colour-shifting properties. To add a subtle, elegant shimmer, the 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 alone.
On closer inspection, the motor car’s bonnet is seen to feature a subtle rendering of the Weaving Water motif that appears throughout the interior, produced by carefully redistributing the pigment during the finishing process.
Rolls-Royce Phantom Syntopia
Inside, the Bespoke Starlight Headliner was made using a single sheet of blemish-free leather featuring precise symmetrical cuts that expose a silver 'liquid metal' texture made of woven fabric. This comes from the Couturiere's 'Embossed Sounds' Collection and gives the headliner a 3D effect, thanks to 162 petals made of glass organza applied to the car by van Herpen's team in a process that took almost 300 hours. After that was done, 187 of the 995 fiber optic 'stars' were placed by hand and are illuminated sequentially, starting at the rear and moving to the front. RR says the Headliner alone took nearly 700 hours to complete.
Rolls-Royce Phantom Syntopia
The front seats of Phantom Syntopia are finished in Magic Grey leather, distinguished by its lustrous finish. The rear seats are upholstered with a specially created silk-blend fabric, featuring a distinctive pattern which 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 in which embroidery is applied to the reverse side of the textile. This creates a three-dimensional depth while achieving a smooth, seamless, uninterrupted surface.
Phantom Syntopia will take its place in the clients’ private collection in May. As a true one-of-one commission, Rolls-Royce has undertaken that it will never be replicated.
Source: Rolls-Royce
