The second episode of a new talk show by Dutch shipbuilder Heesen has now aired, with the secondary instalment offering an exclusive insight into the world of luxury design.
Heesen first debuted the YachtTalk show back in September to fill the void left behind by this year’s cancelled yacht shows, and each episode brings together industry experts to discuss current issues and hot topics within the yachting world.
For this episode, moderator Charlotte Kan was joined by three design professionals from a variety of industries. Frank Laupman, the founder of Omega Architects who has contributed to the construction of many Heesen yachts, sat down with interiors designer and creative director at Marcel Wanders studio, Gabriele Chiave.
To broaden the perspective of the luxury design industry, they were also joined by automotive designer Niels van Roij, who treated viewers of the show to a debut of his latest creation.
The episode opened with a consideration of why the Dutch have become leaders in the design industry. Chiave paralleled the Dutch techniques with Italian design: “compared to the Italian design, I believe Dutch design is extremely more artistic, it's more experimental […] it’s more inspiring. That way it's more near to art”, said Chiave.
Among other topics, Kan and her guests then went on to discuss what design elements make a successful superyacht, to which Laupman responded: “versatility is very important. [Yacht design] is a very complex process; you're having the emotion, the expectation from your client on one side, and there's the technology and the specifications in your plan on the other side. And they have to meet each other in an elegant way.”
Laupman then proceeded to break down the design elements of some of his favourite yachts, including Galactica Star, Vida, Home and Laurentia.
Another key element of the conversation was the importance of customisation. Each designer mentioned the significance of an emotional connection between the client and their product, with custom car designer Van Roij adding: “it [design] all has to do with stories, personal stories, and we design around a specific human being. So these cars are truly like my suits are tailor made – these cars are tailor made around the owner.”
Van Roji, who has previously designed bespoke Tesla and Range Rover vehicles, then revealed in a world premiere his latest project: a limited edition Silver Spectre Shooting Brake.
The conversation concluded with a discussion of how the designers deal with highly demanding clients, with all three agreeing that communication is key.
For the third episode of YachtTalk, viewers can expect insights from Robert van Tol of Water Revolution Foundation, Enrico Della Valentina from the MARIN research institute and naval architect Perry van Oossanen as they discuss sustainable options and environmentally-friendly practices that will affect the future of the superyacht industry.
To watch the latest YachtTalk episodes as soon as they are released, click the button below to subscribe to Heesen's youtube channel.
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