L'Officiel Arabia met with Michelle Lusby, Bespoke Lead Designer at Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, for an exclusive conversation exploring the art of Bespoke, the role of craftsmanship and culture, and how Rolls-Royce transforms personal stories, heritage and individuality into extraordinary motor cars.
Sidharth Saigal: You have a background spanning textiles, surface design, industrial design and automotive design. How have these different disciplines shaped the way you approach Bespoke commissions at Rolls-Royce?
Michelle Lusby: Tremendously. A Bespoke commission is never simply about designing a motor car; it is about creating an experience and telling a story. I often approach a commission in the same way an interior designer or couturier might, considering how materials, craftsmanship, colour, and proportion work together to create a sense of emotion and occasion.
I have always been inspired by textiles, embroidery, fabrics and how craftspeople can manipulate them to create texture, dimension and depth. What makes this possible is the Bespoke Collective at the Home of Rolls-Royce in Goodwood, where designers, engineers, embroiderers, wood specialists, and leather craftspeople collaborate to turn an idea into reality. The most rewarding part of my role is bringing those disciplines together around a client's vision.
Through Private Office Dubai, we work closely with clients whose inspirations can come from anywhere, whether that is a favourite piece of jewellery, a family heritage, a work of art, a cherished memory or even a particular landscape. My background allows me to translate those diverse influences into a beautiful Rolls-Royce commission.
You have worked on highly distinctive projects, including the one-of-one Phantom Serenity. What does it take to translate a client's personal story, passions and imagination into something as unique as a Bespoke Rolls-Royce?
The commissioning journey a client comes on with Rolls-Royce Motor Cars is an emotional one. As soon as a client visits a dealer or comes to the Rolls-Royce Private Office Dubai, we delve deep into a client’s life. The most important part is listening. Often, a client's most meaningful source of inspiration is not something obvious, but a memory, a family story, a place that shaped them, or an achievement that carries personal significance.
To translate a client’s personal story, we take all the details and bring their stories to life. We work very closely with our artisans and clients to expand the horizons of what’s possible with Bespoke to create a truly enchanting motor car for each client, through Bespoke paintwork, embroidery, marquetry and other complex surface expressions. Every conversation leads to ideas that inspire craftsmanship and artistry like Phantom Dentelle inspired by couture lace or Phantom Arabesque inspired by the geometry of traditional mashrabiya architecture.
Sometimes a client arrives with a clear vision; other times our role is to uncover a story they had not considered translating into a motor car and for me, it’s all exciting.
The Middle East has a particularly sophisticated and discerning luxury clientele. How do you view the region as a market for Rolls-Royce Bespoke, and what makes the design conversations with Middle Eastern clients different or distinctive?
It is always interesting working with our clients in the region. The Middle East is very proud of their rich culture, families and heritage. Clients here in the region often try to include different aspects of their culture as symbolic elements in their motor cars whether through colour or family emblems, meaningful fabric or jewelry items, or personal achievements. These conversations inspire some of the most of sentimental elements.
Some of our most ambitious commissions were developed from the region, including the recently announced Phantom Hummingbird, the first abalone shell in its design, Phantom Arabesque which contained the first Rolls-Royce with a laser-engraved bonnet, and Cullinan Cosmos which had the first handpainted Starlight Headliner. These are new innovations that have been introduced in the motor cars. Spectre Rose demonstrated how clients are increasingly exploring contemporary forms of storytelling, using Bespoke to celebrate personal milestones, family connections and individual identity. This particular commission was a tribute from a mother to her daughter inspired by the English Princess Rose with every stem representing a family member in its design.
We are also seeing growing interest in Bespoke colours developed specifically for regional clients. Finishes such as Hessonite, Inara Gold, Moonrock Silver and Terracotta Flair were inspired by the landscapes, light and natural beauty of the Middle East, reflecting how profoundly the region continues to influence our creative direction.
For me, that is what makes this region so unique. Middle Eastern clients help to shape the future of Bespoke commissioning.
Your personal interest in fine art, textiles and the combination of traditional and contemporary craft clearly informs your work. How do you balance heritage craftsmanship with new materials, techniques and contemporary design language?
Rolls-Royce has always been rooted in craftsmanship and we are always looking at ways to expand the possibilities combining heritage craftsmanship and modern techniques and contemporary artistry.
This is why being timeless and contemporary are values we embrace at Rolls-Royce. The challenge is never choosing between heritage and innovation; it is understanding how they can elevate one another. Every new technique we introduce must feel authentic to Rolls-Royce and serve a meaningful purpose.
Phantom Arabesque is a wonderful example. Its inspiration came from centuries-old mashrabiya patterns, yet it required a contemporary laser-engraving process developed over five years. The result felt deeply rooted in tradition yet modern.
When clients look at a Rolls-Royce years down the line, it should feel as relevant and beautiful as the day it was commissioned. That is our aim.
Having worked with Rolls-Royce since 2014 and now leading Bespoke design from the Dubai Private Office, how do you see the future of personalisation evolving,and what excites you most about the next generation of Rolls-Royce commissions?
We are entering a remarkable era for Bespoke. Clients are no longer simply personalising a motor car; they are commissioning deeply personal expressions of who they are. Clients want to create something that reflects their lifestyle, their passions and their identity.
Through Private Office Dubai, we are seeing an appetite for motor cars that are more ambitious, more artistic and more technically challenging than ever before. Since opening in 2022, Private Office Dubai has developed over 140 commissions, each reflecting a growing desire for individuality, craftsmanship and artistic expression.
I am excited by the opportunities to explore new craft forms, new materials and new sources of inspiration. Whether that means developing an entirely new paint finish like we recently launched at the Colour Showcase, pioneering new techniques and particularly when it comes to incorporating a client’s passion or heirloom as part of the design. Cullinan Desert Sunset presented a two-tone finish: warm Bronze, inspired by the desert sands of the Arabian Peninsula, and Sunrise Sparkle, reflecting the last rays of the sun on Doha’s skyline. The Bespoke possibilities are endless.
What excites me most is that our capabilities continue to grow and every year our clients dream bigger. As designers, that challenges us to innovate and create experiences that have never existed before. The recent investment in the Home of Rolls-Royce will allow us to explore increasingly complex Bespoke motor cars and turn our client’s dreams into reality.
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