Automotive, fashion, and filmmaking combine to create one unique build.
Worlds Collide
Lexus has routinely teamed up with fashion brands and designers on special collaborations, but the luxury brand has also enjoyed a cozy relationship with the smash hit movie Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Now, those two worlds have quite literally collided as Lexus has partnered with Adidas, Adidas S.E.E.D, Calty Design Research, and 3D printing company Carbon to join forces to create a special version of the Lexus RX 500h F Sport inspired by that particular movie.
Photos: Lexus
Fictional Team
To help celebrate the recent launch of Adidas's "Wakanda Forever Collection,” the team at the fashion brand sought to bring their Black Panther: Wakanda Forever-inspired designs into the automotive space. Thus, it sought to answer the question, “What if Wakanda had a national athletic team?” The vehicle wrap builds on the custom identity of the fictional African nation as envisioned by Adidas, creating an automotive identity that matches the fashion collection.
Photos: Lexus
Special Touches
The re-imagined exterior of the RX features the Wakandan-inspired print and purple colorway used throughout the Adidas sportswear collection. A diamond pattern inlay across the hood is inspired by the Black Panther’s claw necklace. Gold details, and a tie to the new Black Panther’s suit, accent the exterior, with unique “F” center caps, F SPORT (
) on the wheels, and Lexus badging that are reimagined using the fictional Wakandan alphabet. The word “Vibe-Branium,” also spelled in the Wakandan alphabet, is added to the rear badging as part of its unique name: the Lexus RX 500h Vibe-Branium (
) AWD DIRECT4.
Photos: Lexus
Up and Coming
Beyond the customized exterior wrap, the students at Adidas S.E.E.D (School for Experiential Education in Design) embraced the challenge to reimagine the all-new Lexus RX interior by using the much-anticipated sequel as its source of inspiration. “Lexus is passionate about fostering future designers,” said Sabina Charfauros-Redmon, creative lead, of Lexus International. “We see Adidas S.E.E.D as representing a new normal that opens doors for BIPOC women in the design space. It’s a special moment when young creators are allowed to stretch their creativity beyond their own comprehension. Lexus believes in this narrative and is excited to be a part of this process.”
Photos: Lexus
Coming Together
To help guide the students through the design process, Calty Design Research led the students through a series of workshops exploring automotive design, Lexus design, creative processes, color and materials, and the power of collaboration. “Lexus, Adidas, and Wakanda Forever may seem like they come from totally different worlds but the thread that draws everything together is the pursuit and leadership in unique storytelling and innovative technology,” stated Alex Shen, chief designer at Calty Design Research. “Because of this common thread, the S.E.E.D. designers have such a unique and exciting task ahead of them to create something really artful and cool. It’s a real pleasure and honor for us to witness all the creativity, enthusiasm, and collaborative thinking and execution from the S.E.E.D. designers.”
Photos: Lexus
Limited Run Shirt
To celebrate this moment, the brands will drop a limited-release t-shirt designed by the students at Adidas S.E.E.D. The exclusive T-shirt will be available to select influencers. The front of the T-Shirt includes an African Proverb written in Wakandan “
” (“Educate a Woman, Educate a Nation”) stylized in traditional Japanese format, tategaki. The back of the T-Shirt pays homage to mineral-rich Wakanda’s Vibranium which has helped shaped its future-focused society through a periodic table transcribed in Wakandan. In addition, the T-Shirt’s wash tag houses emblems from the superpower team, Lexus, Adidas, Adidas S.E.E.D, Marvel Studios’ “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” and Carbon.
Photos: Lexus
Power of Collaboration
“Collaboration is one of our core values at S.E.E.D. We believe that innovation exists at the intersection of creativity, collaboration, diversity, inclusion and equity,” adds Cheresse Thornhill-Goldson, director, Design Education & Growth | S.E.E.D., adidas. “A critical aspect of our curriculum is ‘open-source’ product creation where we team up with experts across various industries to educate and co-create with our S.E.E.D. designers to bring unique products to life. So, collaborating with Lexus, ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,’ Carbon, Calty, and Annex to design the Lexus Vibe-Branium Direct4 RX 500h was such a transformative experience for our students. The end result is a powerful example of what can happen when we leverage the ‘collective genius’ across disciplines.”
Photos: Lexus
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