ROLLS-ROYCE PRESENTS PHANTOM CHERRY BLOSSOM: A PERSONAL TRIBUTE TO THE BEAUTY OF TRANSIENCE – AutoMart Canada

• Rolls-Royce presents highly Bespoke Phantom ‘Cherry Blossom’ commission
• Inspired by ‘Hanami’, the Japanese tradition of viewing cherry
  blossoms in the spring
• Client sought to capture the beauty of this natural spectacle to
  share with their family
• Client’s vision realised through 250,000 stitches and six months
  of development
• Starlight Headliner recreates cherry blossom with exquisite embroidery
• First-ever application of sculptural 3D embroidery in a
  Rolls-Royce motor car
• Rolls-Royce Phantom nameplate celebrates its centenary in 2025

“Cherry blossoms are cherished in Japan as a symbol of the
ephemeral nature of life and the beauty of transience. With this
magnificent commission, we translate an internationally renowned
moment into our pinnacle motor car, Phantom, with exquisite
embroidery comprising more than 250,000 stitches. For the first time
at Rolls-Royce, we have applied three-dimensional embroidery that
gives the falling flower petals a tactile, sculptural quality.
Developed using ancient Japanese stitching techniques, this motor
car represents a deeply personal memory for the client and
demonstrates the power of Bespoke in uniting individual meaning,
heritage craftsmanship and modern artistry.”

Martina Starke, General Manager, Bespoke Design, Rolls-Royce
Motor Cars

As Sakura season arrives, blanketing various regions
around the world in pink petals, Rolls‑Royce Motor Cars is proud to
present Phantom Cherry Blossom. This magnificent 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 are a powerful symbol of
nature’s rhythms, the arrival of spring and the beauty of
impermanence. As Sakura blooms are short-lived, lasting only around a
week, they serve as a poignant reminder to cherish the present and
embrace life. This symbolism is deeply embedded in Japanese art,
literature and philosophy.

Cherry blossoms are celebrated in the centuries-old tradition of
‘Hanami’, or ‘flower viewing’. During Hanami, families and friends
gather beneath the delicate pink blooms of cherry trees for picnics
and celebrations, relishing the transient beauty of the season.

A client in Japan wished to capture their cherished Hanami
memories, spanning both childhood and parenthood. They wished to
create their highly Bespoke Phantom as a legacy and experience to be
passed down through the generations in their family, evoking the same
spirit as Hanami itself.

PHANTOM CHERRY BLOSSOM: A BESPOKE VISION BROUGHT TO LIFE

The design for Phantom Cherry Blossom was conceived
three years ago, when Rolls-Royce artisans met the commissioning
client in Japan to fully understand their vision. This elegant,
exquisitely detailed motor car is a stunning example of Bespoke
artistry, not only expressing the client’s personal ambition but also
the peerless skill and commitment of the Bespoke Collective. Now
delivered to its proud custodian in Japan, this one-of-a-kind
masterpiece is a true reflection of their individuality and passion.

FLORAL SANCTUARY: EXPANSIVE 250,000-STITCH EMBROIDERY

Inside the motor car, intricate embroidery captures
the sensation of sitting beneath a flowering tree during Hanami, just
as the client envisioned. A Bespoke Starlight Headliner is adorned
with an embroidered cherry bough, sprinkled with delicate white
blossoms. The falling petal embroidery appears on the rear door panels
and Privacy Suite partition between the front and rear passenger
compartments. The design and development of this remarkable expression
of contemporary craft spanned more than six months. The headliner
required three weeks alone to embroider and exceeds 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 appear to be intertwining, growing over
and under one another. To achieve this effect, a single artisan
meticulously aligned 11 individually embroidered frame sections to
create a single, seamless graphic rising from the rear of the motor
car and flowing forward over the rear passengers.

Finally, the headliner is embroidered with cherry blossom
flowers, formed of individual satin-stitch petals designed to capture
the light at different angles with a jewel-like quality. The petals
can be seen throughout the rear cabin, falling onto the doors and
division of the motor car’s Privacy Suite.

ROLLS-ROYCE FIRST: SCULPTURAL 3D EMBROIDERY

In a Rolls-Royce first, the interior is completed
with three-dimensional cherry petal embroidery. These tactile,
sculptural details grace the division, creating a striking contrast to
the classic stitchwork of the falling cherry petals on the doors.

Creating these three-dimensional embroideries required
specialists to pioneer a new technique, where the thread is layered
upon itself to form a self-supporting structure. Each petal is then
shaped and sculpted into its final form by hand before being stitched
into place, individually positioned to complement the interior
lighting and create soft shadow effects.

FLORAL INSPIRATION: AN ELEGANT BESPOKE STATEMENT

Extending the Hanami theme, a falling petal motif
appears on the inner lining of the Bespoke umbrellas, concealed within
the motor car’s doors. The exterior also features a subtle reference
to the theme; the Crystal over Arctic White coachwork incorporates a
distinctive hand-painted coachline that elegantly tapers midway along
the rear passenger door and features a delicate cherry blossom motif –
an elegant preview of the artistry within.

NEDC combined: CO2 emissions: 345 g/km; Fuel consumption: 18.7 mpg /
15.1 l/100km. WLTP combined: CO2 emissions: 353-365 g/km; Fuel
consumption: 17.4-18.1 mpg / 16.2-15.6 l/100km.