Schön! alive | the road less traveled

Usually, a Bespoke Rolls-Royce commission involves colour-matching a specific flower from a private estate or sourcing wood from a centuries-old forest. But for Goodwood’s latest client – a tech entrepreneur with a serious case of 1980s nostalgia – the brief was a little different: make it play.

The new Black Badge Ghost Gamer is the first-ever Rolls-Royce inspired by the ‘Golden Age’ of arcade gaming. It is a gloriously retro-futurist love letter to the 8-bit era, transforming the world’s most luxurious motor car into an immersive, deep-pocketed tribute to the digital worlds of ‘Space Invaders’ and ‘Pac-Man.’

While the marque has previously flirted with hidden codes in the cryptic Wraith Kryptos collection and its vehicles have long been digital status symbols in franchises like ‘Forza Motorsport,’ this marks the first time Goodwood has physically engineered the 8-bit universe into a bespoke commission.

The exterior sets the mood immediately. Finished in a dual-tone Salamanca Blue and Diamond Black, the car mimics the neon-lit aesthetic of a dark arcade hall. But look closer at the hand-painted Coachline and you’ll find the commission’s mascot: the “Cheeky Alien,” a green, 8-bit character composed of 89 individual pixels.

However, the real cheat codes are found inside. The interior has been designed as a hands-on game of exploration, filled with hidden Easter eggs. The tread-plates greet the driver with ‘INSERT COIN’, ‘PRESS START’ and ‘LEVEL UP’ in pixelated fonts. The seats are embroidered with Player 1 through Player 4, stitched in electric hues that mimic the flicker of a vintage CRT monitor against the Black and Casden Tan leather.

“This brief was particularly exciting,” says Joshua McCandless, the Bespoke Designer behind the project. “Over the course of a month, we immersed ourselves in the 8-bit aesthetic that defined late 70s and early 80s gaming. We wanted the client to feel that the motor car itself was an immersive experience – and that every time they stepped inside, it would recreate the same thrill they felt when they pressed ‘start’ on an arcade machine for the very first time.”

The roof, however, is on another level. The famous Starlight Headliner has been reprogrammed into a ‘Pixel Blaster’ formation. Instead of a silent night sky, the fibre-optic lights form 80-bitmapped battlecruisers and its signature shooting star feature is now re-coded to simulate laser fire pulsing across the ceiling. 

Even the craftsmanship gets a digital remix. The Waterfall between the rear seats features a hand-painted lunar landscape with stainless steel “flying saucers,” while hidden aliens are tucked away on the air vents and picnic tables, waiting to be discovered.

Delivered to a client who clearly believes that who dies with the highest score wins, the Black Badge Ghost Gamer proves that even the most serious luxury brand on Earth knows how to have fun.

Discover more here.

photography. courtesy of Rolls-Royce
words. Gennaro Costanzo

When Jaden Smith and luxury retail veteran Sebastian Manes (formerly of Selfridges)  launched Harper Collective, their goal was clear: to prove that high-end, desirable luggage could be made from recycled ocean materials. Now, they’ve found the perfect automotive counterpart to push that vision forward: the CUPRA Design House. 

The collaboration was born from a shared vision to “blend style and sustainability without losing edge,” crafting “better design for the future.” The two challenger brands have teamed up for a limited-edition, three-piece luggage collection that seamlessly merges their distinct identities.

The raw material is Harper Collective’s foundation, an eco-conscious shell crafted from recycled ocean plastic. This ‘trash’ is transformed into an exquisite, durable product, hand-finished by artisans in Birmingham, UK. It’s a process that embodies the philosophy of turning discarded materials into desirable luxury.

The aesthetic, however, is pure CUPRA. The luggage is defined by its brutalist design language and finished in the car brand’s unmistakable, matte-effect Century Bronze. This signature colour, pulled directly from their high-performance vehicles, gives the entire line an industrial, sharp edge that avoids any typical concessions to green design.

The automotive spirit is just as present in the details. The luggage features tactile, durable Ultrasuede accents, the same premium material used to finish the sporty, high-spec interiors of CUPRA’s vehicles.

The collection itself is built for contemporary travel, consisting of a Cabin (€785), a Cabin Expandable (€850) and a larger Trunk (€1050). By merging Harper’s material-first, sustainable mission with CUPRA’s striking design language, the collection makes a compelling case that durability, purposeful design and a clear conscience can, in fact, travel together.

The new luggage collection is available online and select retail stores (including Selfridges). 

photography. courtesy of Harper Collective, CUPRA
words. Gennaro Costanzo

Who knew pianos and luxury cars had so much in common? Steinway & Sons and Bentley Motors, apparently. The two heritage houses have joined forces for a collaboration that celebrates precision, craftsmanship and design through the launch of Steinway’s ‘Ultra Black’ and ‘Ultra White’ limited editions.

Built in Hamburg, just fifty-two of these grand pianos will exist worldwide, evenly split between the two finishes. Each takes cues from both brands’ most recognisable signatures: Steinway’s timeless silhouettes and Bentley’s sleek monochrome palette. The Ultra Black, finished in a deep Jet Black that’s been a favourite in Bentley’s veneer catalogue, feels sculptural and commanding; its mirror image, the Ultra White, draws from the carmaker’s Arctic White, luminous and modern in tone.

“The Ultra Black and Ultra White editions embody Steinway’s ability to honour our heritage while exploring new expressions of design,” confirms Guido Zimmermann, President of Steinway & Sons Europe. “These pianos are not only instruments of the highest musical quality but also works of art, created for those who value craftsmanship, individuality, and timeless beauty.” 

It’s a statement Bentley could easily echo. And indeed, to mark the launch, the British marque unveiled a ‘Flying Spur Speed’ finished in Arctic White with a Piano Black veneer interior – a perfect mirror of Steinway’s monochrome duo. 
“Our collaboration with Steinway & Sons is a meeting of worlds, where craftsmanship connects music and motion. The Flying Spur Speed, paired with Steinway’s Ultra Black and Ultra White editions, represents a dialogue between two distinguished names, creating objects of rarity and enduring beauty,” says Wayne Bruce, Chief Communications and D&I Officer. 

Founded in 1853, Steinway & Sons remains the gold standard for concert pianists, its instruments painstakingly made by hand over the course of a year in just two factories located in Hamburg and New York. Bentley, meanwhile, has been crafting luxury cars in Crewe since 1919, evolving from W.O. Bentley’s original vision into a symbol of British engineering and design.

What makes this collaboration more than just a meeting of logos is the exchange of craft behind it. Steinway and Bentley artisans shared techniques in veneering, finishing and woodwork – a merging of two disciplines united by precision and touch. Both brands have built their legacies on that tension between handcraft and innovation: from Bentley’s meticulously engineered interiors to Steinway’s SPIRIO | r system, which can record and reproduce a live performance with astonishing fidelity.

Elegance shouldn’t be limited to concert halls or car showrooms and, together, the two brands prove that this is what happens when sound and speed share the same rhythm.

photography. courtesy of Steinway & Sons, Bentley Motors
words. Gennaro Costanzo