Two British icons have come together as part of a special collaboration, which might leave Land Rover fans rather envious.
Designer Paul Smith has owned various Land Rovers since becoming a famous designer, but now has his own unique model, which recently arrived as a special gift from the celebrated 4x4-maker.
The vehicle was built entirely to Sir Paul’s own specifications and was designed by the British fashion icon in collaboration with Land Rover, featuring hand-finished artwork, specially crafted by Land Rover’s Special Vehicle Operations division, who exist to fulfil individual customer commissions and personalisation.
The one-off Defender includes 27 different colours on the exterior panels, which were all selected by Smith. The designer said he took inspiration from the British countryside, as well as colours historically seen on Defenders used by the Armed Forces, explaining: “I wanted deep rich colours, but at the same time, I wanted them to work together yet be surprising.”
“The Defender is a British icon, which is something I’m exceptionally proud of,” he added. “This is a complete one-off; I wanted to give this Defender a feeling of luxury, so I used a mix of leather and fabric for the seats. I actually used the fabric that I design for Maharam, the American upholstery company.”