PARIS — Nicolas Ghesquière owns the ideal California midcentury home. Now he’s designed the car to match it.
The artistic director of women’s collections at Louis Vuitton has joined forces with Singer, an American company that specializes in restoring and modifying classic Porsche 911s, to create a one-of-a-kind turbo-charged cabriolet in ivory white with precious-wood trim, inspired by the elegance of classic motorboats and the freedom of the West Coast’s outdoor lifestyle.
It’s one of two unique cars that Vuitton has developed with Singer as it deepens its connection with the automotive world through its partnership with Formula 1, and gears up for the Louis Vuitton Dolomites Classic Run in September, which will mark the French luxury brand’s first classic car rally in 14 years.
The two Porsche 911 Reimagined by Singer models, based on cars dating from the early 1990s, were unveiled on Wednesday at Pebble Beach, Calif., as part of Monterey Car Week, an annual festival featuring rare classic cars, high-end auctions and vintage motor racing. The price of the cars has not been disclosed.
Ghesquière, who acquired the John Lautner-designed Wolff house in Los Angeles in 2022, is a self-described auto buff, as illustrated by his first campaign for Vuitton in 2014, which featured model Freja Beha Erichsen and an ultra-rare 1972 Maserati Boomerang concept car.
“Automotive design is a passion that has always lived within me. My collaboration with Singer has been a chance to reconnect with this fascinating world — a magnificent opportunity to explore truly exceptional automobiles,” Ghesquière said in a statement shared exclusively with WWD.
The conversation with Singer began with a simple request. The bespoke auto workshop, founded in 2009 by Rob Dickinson, the former frontman of English alternative rock band Catherine Wheel, wanted to commission a detachable dashboard clock based on Vuitton’s signature Tambour watch.
The dashboard of the Porsche 911 Reimagined by Singer – Classic designed in collaboration with Louis Vuitton.
Courtesy of Louis Vuitton
“In addition to the design and production of this clock by La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton workshops in Switzerland, it quickly became apparent to us that this collaboration with Singer could extend to the personalization of every functional element of the vehicle, enhancing them through our expertise in leather craftsmanship and watchmaking,” said Jean Arnault, Louis Vuitton’s watch director.
“The result is a shared vision that embodies innovation, creativity and the pursuit of exceptional savoir-faire,” he added.
The co-branded vehicles represent a historic first both for Vuitton and Singer, and mobilized artisans across all divisions at Vuitton, from watches and trunks to leather goods, fashion and footwear.
“The specifications chosen by Louis Vuitton exposed us to techniques and methods developed over decades of experience. They trusted us with their esteemed brand, their traditions and their vision, and it was a joy to bring our two worlds together,” Dickinson said.
The second fruit of their partnership is a reimagined Porsche 911 coupé in the house’s signature saffron and cobalt blue colorway, which also features on its packaging. It comes with a roof rack that can accommodate a trunk, a surfboard or a pair of skis, reflecting Vuitton’s brand identity built around the art of travel.
The car is full of meticulously handcrafted details, such as the Monogram flower designs that appear in the ventilation eyelets on the leather seats, as well as on the sun visor and headrests, and extending to technical components like fuel and oil caps, which feature the typography used on Vuitton watch components.
“Projects of this scale and exclusivity allow for a level of attention to detail that is unusual in the automotive world,” said Octave Chany, project lead designer at Singer.
The Porsche 911 Reimagined by Singer – Classic designed in collaboration with Louis Vuitton.
Courtesy of Louis Vuitton
“Every transition between materials, every metallic reflection, every knurled surface, every mechanical interaction and every graphic element has been meticulously considered, often at an almost microscopic level,” he added.
Each car comes with an exclusive, one-off capsule collection.
For the Porsche 911 Reimagined by Singer – Classic, 17 products are included, including a racing jacket, jeans, shoes, driving gloves, a helmet, a Keepall bag, a Louis Vuitton surfboard and a pair of skis, among others.
The jacket is made from a similar leather as the car’s upholstery, while the jeans feature a Louis Vuitton x Singer tab at the rear waist. The package also includes a pair of front-trunk bags that fit into the nose of the car.
Meanwhile, the Ghesquière-designed Porsche 911 Reimagined by Singer – Classic Turbo comes with 22 products, including a made-to-measure suit in parachute silk, driving gloves, sneakers, a helmet, a Tambour Automatic watch and a selection of bags, including an Alma, an Express, a Noé, a Cruiser and a Petite Malle.
Vuitton’s connections with the automotive world stretch back to the early 20th century, when twin brothers Pierre and Jean Vuitton, grandsons of Louis Vuitton, designed their own car to showcase the house’s bespoke trunks and luggage.
Starting in the 1990s, the house organized classic car rallies worldwide, bestowing a prize on the most innovative concept cars and holding Concours d’Elégance shows for vintage car collectors in Paris, London and New York City.
Items from the exclusive capsule collection for the Porsche 911 Reimagined by Singer – Classic designed in collaboration with Louis Vuitton.
Courtesy of Louis Vuitton