Epitomizing the luxury SUV category, Range Rover is known for a legacy stretching almost 60 years, and as the flagship model and lineup have evolved, Range Rover has also become known for a refined aesthetic, combining modern, luxurious minimalism with a classic silhouette inspired by the original’s approach of combining adventure-ready capability with sumptuous comfort and elegance.
At this year’s Milan Design Week, Range Rover’s design will be showcased as a part of a site-specific installation that Range Rover is bringing to Milan, called “Traces.” It’s created in partnership with a London-based spatial design studio, Storey Studio. Located at Galleria Meravigli, in the heart of Milan, “Traces” opens to the public from April 21-26.
The installation marks Range Rover’s second consecutive year with presence at Milan Design Week, and it specifically celebrates Range Rover Bespoke, highlighting the elevated luxury, craftsmanship, and design that go behind the brand’s pinnacle personalization service. The space brings together film, design, artwork, and sound in a curated experience for guests, with mirrors evoking a sense of infinite possibility, and three chapters of the experience telling a story.
The first is “Memory and Color,” and it features a film by Felipe Sanguinetti. The film explores Sanguinetti’s own memories, from his roots in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and his life as a creative in Paris, each attached to various colors. Color is also an integral part of Range Rover’s story, with shades like Davos White, Masai Red, and Bahama Gold having been a part of the Range Rover legacy since 1970.
“Memory and Motif” is the second chapter, and it features the work of four commissioned artists, Hvass and Hannibal, Lisa Rampilli, Petra Borner, and Jules Julien, who were tasked with creating illustrations of their memories of Milan. Original embroidery was also created by the Range Rover Bespoke Materiality team in response to each illustration, and an intimate environment decorated with fabric walls and wood carpet, with a soundscape that connects the first and second chapters, serves as the backdrop for the dialogue between the embroideries and the illustrations.
Memory and Material is the final chapter, and within it is a new bespoke Range Rover commission, the Pearl of Tay, which is inspired by the freshwater pearl of Scotland’s River Tay. The space is made to evoke a river landscape, with a black gravel floor, a ceiling that resembles the water’s surface, and displays of objects curated by Edinburgh‑based shop and gallery Bard, which specializes in Scottish craftsmanship. The objects are each created from a single material, and they serve to reference Scotland, as well as the vehicle, with the masterful use of the material itself, much in the same way materials are curated for the bespoke vehicle.
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Furniture partner GUBI also contributed its design expertise to the space, and with stunning art, design, sound, filmmaking, and a new bespoke vehicle commission, the new “Traces” installation by Range Rover is a beautiful showcase of Range Rover’s cosmopolitan approach to automotive luxury.
Image Source: JLR