Lunar module
Wallpaper|March 2023
Moon landings, monster trucks and Moncler's down-filled jackets are the driving force behind its partnership with Mercedes-Benz
JONATHAN BELL
Lunar module

Mercedes-Benz is comfortable in its own skin. From the invention of the combustion engine at the tail end of the 19th century through to today’s focus on electrification, the German manufacturer has been at the heart of the changing look and feel of mobility.

Gorden Wagener, the company’s chief design officer since 2008, has stewarded its vast and diverse portfolio through fast-evolving consumer desires, legislative shifts and technological changes. At the same time, he has overseen the conceptual visions that drive the company forwards, as well as the design team’s expansion into non-automotive projects.

Partnerships are a crucial spoke in the circular world of luxury product design. ‘We only do very select partnerships, like the one with Virgil Abloh,’ says Wagener. ‘It’s about discovering what we have in common with another brand.’ The final fruits of this particular collaboration only surfaced after Abloh’s death in 2021, having begun with a radically customised G-Class the year before (W*257). The end result was a dramatic conceptual off-roader, dubbed Project Maybach. This pairing certainly pushed the envelope for Mercedes, and although the cars themselves were ostentatious, they were still recognisably practical and rooted in real-world requirements. For the company’s newest partnership, with Moncler, these considerations have been gleefully thrown to the wind. Instead of creating a concept car or an extreme custom piece, the collaboration has resulted in a striking piece of automotive sculpture.

Diese Geschichte stammt aus der March 2023-Ausgabe von Wallpaper.

Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.

Diese Geschichte stammt aus der March 2023-Ausgabe von Wallpaper.

Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.

WEITERE ARTIKEL AUS WALLPAPERAlle anzeigen
COOL RUNNINGS
Wallpaper

COOL RUNNINGS

Palace founder Lev Tanju is bringing his own unexpected brand of weirdness and love of eclectic mash-ups to Fila's new contemporary line

time-read
5 Minuten  |
January 2025
LIVING COLOUR
Wallpaper

LIVING COLOUR

Mexico's San Miguel de Allende is home to a bold young crowd of talent that's thriving off the city's brightly-hued heritage

time-read
5 Minuten  |
January 2025
STARS ASCENDING
Wallpaper

STARS ASCENDING

In a rapidly changing world, the route designers take to discover their calling is increasingly circuitous. We profile ten creatives forging their own paths to success

time-read
10+ Minuten  |
January 2025
SUITE DREAMS
Wallpaper

SUITE DREAMS

Cathay Pacific’s new aircraft interiors turn the inflight experience into an art form, upgrading the business-class cabin for the next generation of flyers

time-read
2 Minuten  |
January 2025
Brutal harmony
Wallpaper

Brutal harmony

The Escheresque Italian villa designed by Fausto Bontempi for sculptor Claudio Caffetto

time-read
3 Minuten  |
January 2025
LOCAL HERO
Wallpaper

LOCAL HERO

London studio Holloway Li’s recent makeover of Polish hotel Puro Poznan is right up our street

time-read
2 Minuten  |
January 2025
STAR TURNS
Wallpaper

STAR TURNS

An exhibition at Louvre Abu Dhabi unveils the stellar shortlist for this year's Richard Mille Art Prize

time-read
4 Minuten  |
January 2025
SCREEN GEM
Wallpaper

SCREEN GEM

A multifaceted residence in Beverly Hills puts the beauty of potentiality in the frame

time-read
3 Minuten  |
January 2025
SOFT SPOT
Wallpaper

SOFT SPOT

We've taken a shine to Bottega Veneta's collaboration with Flos on a special edition of a Gino Sarfatti lamp

time-read
1 min  |
January 2025
Between the lines
Wallpaper

Between the lines

Frequently drawing comparisons with Francis Bacon, painter George Rouy is gaining peer points for his use of classic techniques to distort the human form

time-read
4 Minuten  |
January 2025