You may have heard people say that Mercedes, for all its talk about being a luxury brand, usually creates autos that fall short of this label. These critics may well be eating their words now with the unveiling of the close-to-production Concept Mercedes-Maybach Haute Voiture.
Haute couture, meet haute voiture
Along with the many regulations that cause a fashion house and its garments to be considered high fashion, haute couture, at its core, is a title given to uniquely-styled garments that are made to perfection (after different fittings) using the best-skilled craftspeople working with the finest – and sometimes rarest – materials.
For the Concept Mercedes-Maybach Haute Voiture, the Mercedes-Benz Group AG employs the exact same specifications, taking all the significant factors of remarkable runway dresses and using them in the manufacturing of the vehicle.
For the exterior, a two-tone paint finish of dark nautical blue for the upper part and the forged wheels, and, a light, shimmering rose for the lower part and the sides, was used. The unusual colour combination screams luxury while immediately providing a sense of elevated elegance.
Continuing with the theme of haute couture and runway glam, Mercedes brings in the light rose and nautical blue to the interior, only this time, they add white to the mix for an even more heightened sense of elegance.
The radiant white colour takes centre stage in the interior, being the colour of the Nappa leather used for the seats, armrests, lower part of the instrument panel, steering wheel and the roof lining. It is also the colour of the dashboard support and the faux fur used in the door pockets, inlay mats and scatter cushion.
This radiantly bright look is interspersed with nautical blue Nappa leather on the window frames and along the beltline, while an haute-couture-inspired, high-quality bouclé fabric in blue, beige, rose gold and gold hues embraces the passengers in the rear and sweeps in an arc down to the door. The material also makes flash appearances elsewhere in the interior – for example on the seats and scatter cushions.
From Haute Voiture to luxury fashion
To complete the elevated holistic luxury experience of the Concept Mercedes-Maybach Haute Voiture, the designers created a barrel bag in different sizes along with two outfits – all handmade from the original materials of the vehicle interior.
For the bags, they combined the Nappa leather with the bouclé fabric and also use the latter in combination with other fashion materials to make the rather glamorous outfits, one of which is a ladies’ suit consisting of a tailored jacket and a short A-line skirt. Others include a delicate lace dress made to complement the suit and a modern mock neck top also made of bouclé. A long skirt rounds it off with a train.
The Concept Mercedes-Maybach Haute Voiture will be a strictly limited edition marque available for purchase in 2023. For the lucky few who will own it, it will be a beautiful reminder of the kind of magic that happens when luxury, fine craftsmanship, and haute couture meet.