Why auto-mobile manufacturers turn to collaborations with fashion brands

From the fashion capital Italy

Not many years ago, we got our firsthand taste of this kind of partnership when we test drove a range of vehicles by Maserati. “What was the distinction?”, I hear you ask! The luxury fashion house Ermenegildo Zegna, which is especially known for men’s blazers and suits — also an Italian brand with a 100-year-old legacy — added lavish embroidered Mulberry silk trims to the seats of these vehicles, making them all the cosier while adding an extra dimension of opulence. Apparently, it takes these craftsmen some 300km of silk thread to complete one vehicle and the silk itself has been developed to have the same durability as leather. Most impressive! The latest iterations of these Zegna editions have unique woven Pelletessuta leather and as expected, is only reserved for just a few units of Quattroporte S Q4 GranLusso sedans and Levante S GranSport SUVs.

Moving on, some of you may remember the Lamborghini Murciélago LP 640 Roadster Versace. As if a wedge-shaped rocket ship of a vehicle with 600-plus horses under the hood wasn’t appealing enough, Versace stamped its style on just 20 of these units, with their recognisable Greek fret motif on the scissor doors and nappa leather upholstery. It also came with high-gloss ‘Hermera’ black-finished wheels, a carbon-fibre interior trim and glass engine cover.

And don’t think that the cheaper, more affordable car brands don’t get in on the action. Fiat offered Gucci versions of both the hardtop 500 and cloth-top 500C for a modest bump in price over the regular units. And the popularity of these partnerships meant that they had no trouble moving stock. The cabin of these vehicles came in all black, or a black/white contrast treatment to match the exterior paint schemes i.e. black or white, with the signature Gucci red and green stripe running along the beltline on hardtop models, and along the cloth top on the 500C. Satin chrome accents on the inside, Gucci badging on the door frames, accented with chrome mirrors and door handles, and unique 15-inch aluminum wheels with the interlocking “GG” design at the centre caps are some of the traits that keep this sheepish 500 separate from the herd. Fiat also did a one-off, called the B.500 “MAI TROPPO” with the expertise of Bvlgari. This convertible came sporting a metallic paint in imperial saffron — a shade iconic to Bvlgari. It is a colour achieved through the integration of a special gold dust, the highly precious scraps of the jewels’ manufacturing process coming from Bvlgari’s production site in Valenza. Equally interesting is the dashboard fascia that is made with heritage Bvlgari silk scarves from the collections of the past.

The French connection

These alliances are not limited to 4-wheeled vehicles by any means. One such example is the Vespa-Dior collaboration. The famed Italian scooter manufacturer and world-renowned French fashion house Dior came together to do a variety of the Vespa 946 with the aid of Maria Grazia Chiuri, the creative director of Dior. The intention was to “celebrate women’s freedom of movement and expression”. Some of the distinctions include a saddle covered with the recognisable Dior Oblique pattern that complement the scooter’s exclusive beige finish, retro bronze-gold inlays and a line of accessories, including a Dior-patterned helmet, luggage and a luggage rack at the rear to match the scooter.

The English patent

wknd@khaleejtimes.com