With the sakura season arriving, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars is presenting the Phantom Cherry Blossom. The one-of-one Phantom Extended commission is inspired by the fleeting beauty of the Sakura blooms and a Japanese client’s formative memories of this stunning natural spectacle.
In Japanese culture, cherry blossoms symbolize nature’s rhythms, spring’s arrival, and the beauty of impermanence. Their brief bloom serves as a reminder to cherish the present. This symbolism is reflected in Japanese art, literature, and philosophy. The tradition of ‘Hanami’, or ‘flower viewing’, involves gatherings under cherry trees for picnics and celebrations, appreciating the fleeting beauty of the season.
A client in Japan wanted to capture cherished Hanami memories, spanning childhood and parenthood. They aimed to create a bespoke Phantom as a legacy to be passed down through generations, evoking the spirit of Hanami.
PHANTOM CHERRY BLOSSOM: A BESPOKE VISION BROUGHT TO LIFE
The Phantom Cherry Blossom, designed three years ago by Rolls-Royce artisans in collaboration with a client in Japan, showcases Bespoke artistry and reflects the client’s individuality and passion. Now delivered, this unique motor car exemplifies the skill of the Bespoke Collective.
FLORAL SANCTUARY: EXPANSIVE 250,000-STITCH EMBROIDERY
Inside the motor car, intricate embroidery evokes the experience of Hanami with a Bespoke Starlight Headliner featuring an embroidered cherry bough and white blossoms. The petal embroidery decorates the rear door panels and Privacy Suite partition. This exquisite design took over six months to create, with three weeks dedicated solely to the headliner, requiring more than 250,000 stitches.
As light plays across this expansive embroidery, it reveals the intricate detail and ingenuity required to bring it to life. The rich thread texture of the embroidered cherry tree is achieved using an offset tatami stitch, inspired by the ancient Japanese weave technique.
The embroidered branches in the motor car intertwine intricately, created by an artisan who aligned 11 embroidered frame sections seamlessly. Additionally, the headliner features embroidered cherry blossom flowers with satin-stitch petals that reflect light, enhancing the rear cabin’s aesthetic, including the doors and partition wall of the Privacy Suite.
ROLLS-ROYCE FIRST: SCULPTURAL 3D EMBROIDERY
In a Rolls-Royce first, the interior features three-dimensional cherry petal embroidery that contrasts with classic stitchwork on the doors. Specialists developed a new technique, layering thread to create a self-supporting structure. Each petal is hand-shaped and positioned to enhance interior lighting and cast soft shadows.
FLORAL INSPIRATION: AN ELEGANT BESPOKE STATEMENT
Extending the Hanami theme, the Bespoke umbrellas have a falling petal design on their inner lining, hidden in the car doors. The exterior also nods to this theme; the Crystal over Arctic White coachwork has a unique hand-painted line that tapers midway along the rear passenger door and features a delicate cherry blossom design – a beautiful hint of the artistry inside.