Bentley taps Private White VC for a money can't buy SUV
Bentley has teamed up with Private White VC to reimagine its Bentayga
Words: Zak Maoui
It's always an exciting thing when two British brands come together. There was the Globe-Trotter and Paul Smith collection a couple of years back. Vivienne Westwood and Burberry dropped a limited edition line before that. And now Bentley Motors has tapped another British treasure, Private White VC.
The collaboration was unveiled earlier this week and champions the best of both brands, which are inherently British through and through. Private White VC is one of those quiet labels that has stood the test of time. It has its roots in World War 1 - its founder, Private Jack White, served in the Middle East and went on to be awarded the Victoria Cross for gallantry. And today it's going as strong as ever, with a fully fledged fashion line outfitting guys across the world. Bentley Motors, meanwhile, is undisputedly recognised as one of the greatest car manufacturers in the UK.
Inspired by White's courage in the war as well as Private White VC's ongoing fashion line (which was established in 1916 as a supplier of trench coats for the Allied Forces), the specially commissioned Bentley Bentayga Azure, which was also made in collaboration with Mulliner, sits at the top end of the automobile game. It features copper detailing throughout the cabin, on reflection of the copper telephone line used during wartime communications, while it has bespoke sewing styles on the upholstery across the seats that reflect Private White VC's design origins - every garment is constructed using only the finest yarns, cloths and the highest quality raw materials. Seats come with cushions that feature a Lancashire-woven cashmere cloth commissioned exclusively to commemorate White’s regimental blanket stripe from 1917.
The dark sapphire Bentley SUV also features a silhouette of Cottenham House, the Private White VC factory built in 1853, which is overlayed onto wood veneered passenger fascia, while the head of Brutus, the PWVC British Bulldog, is embroidered in door pockets.
No detail has gone amiss, and so it's unsurprising that unfortunately the one-of-one vehicle has already been sold by Bentley's Manchester outpost (buyer unknown FYI), but we're hoping that there's going to be another collab in the future.
It's also the latest in a long string of fashion brands getting down with four wheelers. Ultra-hypey Aimé Leon Dore designed a custom retro Porsche 911 SC in 2021, which came with a Bosch K-Jetronic fuel-injection system and a five-speed 915 transmission. Before that ALD founder Teddy Santis restored a 911 Carrera 4, which came with Loro Piana cashmere-lined driving shoes. Rap artist Drake and high-end design house Chrome Hearts worked on a one-of-a-kind Rolls-Royce in 2021, Giorgio Armani gave the Fiat 500 a sexy makeover the year prior and the late Virgil Abloh took on Mercedes Benz for a one-of-one SUV collab.
Fashion and cars might not be the most obvious match, but like with the Private White VC and Bentley Motors hook up, it's always a win.
Want more fashion content? Read up on the The biggest menswear moments from Milan Fashion Week and Pitti Uomo
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