High Style
June 1, 2007
In an age when private jet owners routinely hire interior designers to craft bespoke cabins, AgustaWestland
decided it would commission a haute couture option from Italian compatriots at
Versace. According to AgustaWestland’s Roberto Caprarella, the pairing made
perfect business sense: "Our helicopters are market leaders and the Versace name
is a symbol of Italian luxury worldwide."; function voidFunc() { } voidFunc();)
For those whose knowledge of Versace is limited to
headline-grabbing designs, like the barely-there green dress Jennifer Lopez wore
to the 2000 Grammy Awards, the fashion house might not seem the most obvious fit
for the conservative world of aviation. But just as adroitly as Versace produces
plunging necklines for high-profile celebrities, it created a coolly elegant
cabin design for AgustaWestland. (Click image to enlarge)
"Versace had a lot of freedom," says Caprarella, who notes that
only cabin size and safety regulations restricted the designers’ creative
latitude. Similar in concept to the Lamborghini Murciélago LP640 Versace shown
at the 2006 Paris Motor Show, the black-and-white color scheme Versace devised
for the AgustaWestland Grand ($5,192,000) demonstrates remarkable restraint,
while still satisfying its usual customers’ luxe expectations.
The Versace cabin’s glamour proves a good match for the
overachieving Grand model. With a top speed of 178 mph and a range of up to 528
miles, the Grand also boasts a number of safety features, including
single-engine capability and a cocoon-like airframe. Low emissions from the
Pratt & Whitney motors will appeal to the eco-conscious, as will new rotor
designs that keep noise levels well below government-mandated levels. And with
features like these, it seems that there’s no need to sacrifice anything in the
name of fashion.
AgustaWestland
www.agustawestland.com
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