English

Contact

Find Your Local Number

MY ACCOUNT

Create an account to take advantage of the member rate.

My Bookings

Hello,

Member status:

Reward points:

Logout

Book

Book Your Stay

Select Destination

Contact

Find Your Local Number

Book

Book Your Stay

Select Destination

Book Your Stay

Select Destination

Raffles 1887

RAFFLES READS

Driving force

Sophisticated Businessman in a Modern Accor Hotel Lobby

PROFESSOR GERRY MCGOVERN OBE has been in the business of automotive design for over four decades. For the past 20 years he has overseen the development of Range Rover, Raffles’ preferred luxury vehicle partner, as part of his role as Chief Creative Officer with Jaguar Land Rover (JLR). His portfolio includes two generations of the flagship Range Rover and the re-birth of the classic Defender, some of the world’s most recognisable vehicles. He has also been instrumental in creating the brand worlds that surround each one. Here, exclusively for Raffles 1887, he talks to JAMES OGILVY, a luxury industry veteran, about what lies behind his approach to design

JAMES OGILVY

Gerry, I know you have to answer a lot of technical questions about the vehicles, but I wanted to take a step back and talk about what lies behind the design, in fact more about art and philosophy. And to set that scene, you are called the ‘Chief Creative Officer’ rather than ‘Chief Designer’. What does that mean for you?

GERRY MCGOVERN

A Chief Creative Officer is a unique role in the automotive business, but common in the luxury world. Generally chief designers in the automotive world are very much focused on the design of their products. When it comes to the brand creation – the brand world and all its channels – that is the remit of the marketing team and creative agencies. The downside of this approach is that there is not a singular creative narrative. In other words, the creativity behind the products is often out of sync with the creativity that communicates the brand. However here at JLR we approach our ‘house of brands’ – Range Rover, Defender, Discovery and Jaguar – in a completely different way where I take responsibility with my teams for the creative approach for both the products and the brands. Consequently, I’m overseeing the design direction of the products – all exterior, interior and materiality design – alongside the creative development of our brands.

A white Range Rover SUV drives down a city street at night, illuminated by the glow of streetlights and surrounding buildings. The Range Rover, with its sleek design and copper accents, stands out against the backdrop of a bustling city.

Can you elaborate on the ‘house of brands’?

GMcG

This is about a set of brands that are uniquely British. Each of Range Rover, Defender, Discover and Jaguar has a ‘brand world’ in its own right. The brand worlds define unique values and purpose that elevate each of them into more of a luxury positioning. And in my view the way you're going to do that most successfully is by putting creativity right in the thick of it. In a lot of automotive companies, creativity tends to be thought of as the icing on the cake, but we believe it’s absolutely intrinsic to creating that emotional connection with a consumer that is genuine and credible. It's ultimately about enriching people's lives. The reality is that no one needs a Range Rover, but might desire one. That's the big difference between a commodity and a luxury product, and Range Rover has that equity already.

Range Rover SUV on a San Francisco Street

How do you organise this within the business?

GMcG

What I've done – which is again totally different from what you see in the automotive business – is create a ‘Brand Design’ organisation, a collective of architects, product designers, graphic designers, UX/UI [user interface] designers, creative strategists… a whole platform of different types of creatives who feed the brand world. I am shifting the thinking from running everything around an industrial platform to something you might see in a luxury business, where you tend to have the CEO and the chief artistic director working closely together. So one minute I might be looking at the brand houses we are developing all around the world for Range Rover, the next it might be looking at a potential next-generation Defender that we’re designing.

When I look at the large Range Rover, particularly the way it's presented in some of the beautiful advertising, I see a piece of sculpture, a really beautiful object. Can you talk about the importance to you personally of art, architecture and sculpture and how that has informed your design?

GMcG

My visual sensibility has been informed by 40 years of doing this job. My continuous curiosity around art, architecture, product design, photography and culture really inspires me from day to day.

I grew up in Coventry, which was virtually rebuilt as a consequence of having been bombed in the Second World War. Coventry was the first place to have a dedicated City Architect – Sir Donald Gibson. He was a Modernist who developed a vision for Coventry that was not only modern but artistic. When I was young, there was a famous café called the Round Café and it was all glass and set on an elevated plinth. It was like one of Saarinen’s Space Age designs or the famous LAX structure by Luckman. As a child I used to gaze out of that building and to me it was like being in the future. Ever since then, I have admired architects like Mies [van der Rohe], Neutra and Corbusier. But I also wanted to be a painter – I've always loved painting – and particularly Abstract Expressionism: the likes of Rothko, Pollock, de Kooning, Krasner and Frankenhaler as well as the sculptors like Moore, Giacometti and Hepworth. When I first went to the Royal College of Art, some of these had gone there before, so I felt I was following in their footsteps. It was hugely important for me.

"‘Modernism’, for me, is a philosophy that is reductive in its nature. Think of the early Modernists, like Corbusier, Breuer, Mies and Schindler, and their work is all about taking things away, but not an overall limitation of detail"

Neue Nationalgalerie, Berlin, Germany: Modern Art in the Heart of the City

Tranquil Twilight: A Moment of Serenity in a Modern Setting

Is Modernism still something that informs you as a design philosophy?

GMcG

‘Modernism’, as a term for me, is a particular philosophy that is reductive in its nature. Think of the early Modernists, like Corbusier, Breuer, Mies and Schindler, and their work is all about reduction and taking things away, but not an overall limitation of detail. I believe that when it comes to any sort of design, particularly for a car, it should be proportion first, then balance, then surface and then finally you get into the detail. For me personally, car design is about that reduction. Each of our vehicles has developed its own codes over time, so a Range Rover should always have a floating roof, a continuous belt line, a level of visual formality at the front, a boat tail effect. But every line that's on a car should be there for a reason, doing a job.

If I look at the Range Rover, that's how it has evolved over five generations – it’s got that lineage, that visual DNA. Compare the previous generation Range Rover with the latest, and what is it that makes the new one more modern in its approach? It's literally that we have reduced the lines, with technologies like flush glazing and handles. Once you take away the frame of a door aperture – like in a building – it becomes more reductive, and it looks more modern, cleaner and more attractive. And when you look at the technology of the lamps, it has allowed us to get what looks like a slim, simple lighting system, although in fact it's incredibly complex. I'm not saying you shouldn't celebrate detail, but when you do celebrate it, execute it well. For me, a luxury interior, particularly in the Range Rover, should be calming and should elevate the spirit. And it should be intuitive: with the whole UX connectivity issue, a lot of design is now all about technology rather than the experience. You've got to get the balance right because if you go too far with Modernism and you reduce too much, particularly on interiors, it can start to look too sparse and unconsidered. So it's about striking the right balance.

The interior of a luxurious Range Rover vehicle is shown, featuring cream-colored leather seats and a matching dashboard. The wood grain accents on the steering wheel and door panels add a touch of sophistication. The car is parked facing a picturesque coastal town bathed in the warm glow of the setting sun. The sky is clear with a few wisps of clouds, and the tranquil sea stretches out in the distance.

"I think particularly for luxury brands, to have permission to operate in that rarefied area of the market, to a degree you have to have a level of heritage: it says you've been around for a long time because you've proven to be good at something – and also, that your brand is loved"

Close-up of the Range Rover emblem, crafted in bold, gold lettering against a sleek, teal car hood. The smooth, reflective surface of the hood highlights the luxurious craftsmanship of the vehicle. Below the emblem, the car's grill features a striking contrast of black and silver, further enhancing the vehicle's modern and sophisticated aesthetic.

Does ‘heritage’ have a role to play?

GMcG

I think particularly for luxury brands, to have permission to operate in that rarefied area of the market, to a degree you have to have a level of heritage: it says you've been around for a long time because you've proven to be good at something – and also, that your brand is loved. But I would say it's ‘touch lightly’ – recognise the past but don't be harnessed by it. To me, it's about how you take those codes and reinterpret them in a way that's absolutely relevant for today. If I look to the world of luxury, whether it's in leathergoods, jewellery or apparel, the great luxury brands do an amazing job in the way they present themselves. They are consistent in their focus on quality, on craftsmanship and on being very well curated. With the likes of Hermès, Cartier and Chanel, for example, – it's in the total experience, whether it's the products or the way they present the brand, the way they build their showrooms, the way they turn up on social media, or literally the way their online configurators work.

I find a lot of that very aspirational and the automotive industry for the most part simply isn't at that same level. What we're trying to do here at JLR is be much more comparable to the world of luxury, as opposed to pure automotive. And that has to manifest in many ways where creativity has to be connected all the way through it. So, you go on to one of our configurators on a mobile to look at the cars, do they look incredibly desirable? Do they look like pieces of art? How can we present them in a much more artful way?

What can Range Rover buyers expect in terms of direct interaction with the brand?

GMcG

We've got some great dealerships around the world, but for Range Rover we are starting to do more on what we call our ‘brand houses’. Alongside my design team, I've got an architect and a group of spatial designers creating the look and feel of the showrooms, whether it's a boutique, a dealership or a brand house. We plan to create temporary ‘moments’, all around the world, where we invite new audiences alongside our existing clients to experience the brand in an immersive way – through curated activities and a more personalised dialogue.

JO
What makes Range Rover a good fit for Raffles, as its preferred luxury vehicle partner?

GMcG
We share many synergies. Like Raffles, Range Rover is a brand with heritage, which nevertheless remains modern and timeless. We both share a reputation for exemplary design, quality and originality. Just as Raffles set the standard for luxury hospitality, Range Rover has, since 1970, set the standard for the world's luxury 4x4s – offering a compelling blend of capability, craftsmanship and refinement. We are also two global brands: Range Rover is one of Britain's most successful luxury exports, available in over 120 countries. In every country that you find a Raffles Hotel, you will undoubtedly find a Range Rover nearby.

RAFFLES HOTELS & RESORTS

Discover more

Asia Pacific
- Indonesia
  
  Bali
  
  Raffles Bali
  
  /bali/
  
  /bali/booking/
  
  b695
- China
  
  Hainan
  
  Raffles Hainan Clear Water Bay
  
  /hainan/
  
  /hainan/booking/
  
  a5d7
- India
  
  Jaipur
  
  Raffles Jaipur
  
  /jaipur/
  
  /jaipur/booking/
  
  b5n1
- Indonesia
  
  Jakarta
  
  Raffles Jakarta
  
  /jakarta/
  
  /jakarta/booking/
  
  a5y7
- China
  
  Macao
  
  Raffles at Galaxy Macau
  
  /macau/
  
  /macau/booking/
  
  b824
- Phillippines
  
  Manila
  
  Raffles Makati
  
  /makati/
  
  /makati/booking/
  
  a5e3
- Cambodia
  
  Phnom Penh
  
  Raffles Hotel Le Royal
  
  /phnom-penh/
  
  /phnom-penh/booking/
  
  a5e0
- Singapore
  
  Sentosa
  
  Raffles Sentosa Singapore
  
  /sentosa/
  
  /sentosa/booking/
  
  b5q2
- China
  
  Shenzhen
  
  Raffles Shenzhen
  
  /shenzhen/
  
  /shenzhen/booking/
  
  a7z7
- Cambodia
  
  Siem Reap
  
  Raffles Grand Hotel D'Angkor
  
  /siem-reap/
  
  /siem-reap/booking/
  
  a5d9
- Singapore
  
  Singapore
  
  Raffles Singapore
  
  /singapore/
  
  /singapore/booking/
  
  a5e1
- India
  
  Udaipur
  
  Raffles Udaipur
  
  /udaipur/
  
  /udaipur/booking/
  
  b068
Europe
- Turkey
  
  Istanbul
  
  Raffles Istanbul
  
  /istanbul/
  
  /istanbul/booking/
  
  a5e2
- United Kingdom
  
  London
  
  Raffles London at The OWO
  
  /london/
  
  /london/booking/
  
  b1c0
- France
  
  Paris
  
  Le Royal Monceau Raffles Paris
  
  /paris/
  
  /paris/booking/
  
  a5d5
- Poland
  
  Warsaw
  
  Raffles Europejski Warsaw
  
  /warsaw/
  
  /warsaw/booking/
  
  a7w6
Indian Ocean
- Maldives
  
  Meradhoo
  
  Raffles Maldives Meradhoo
  
  /maldives/
  
  /maldives/booking/
  
  b1y8
- Seychelles
  
  Praslin Island
  
  Raffles Seychelles
  
  /seychelles/
  
  /seychelles/booking/
  
  a5e5
Middle East
- Bahrain
  
  Bahrain
  
  Raffles Al Areen Palace Bahrain
  
  /bahrain/
  
  /bahrain/booking/
  
  b6d1
- Qatar
  
  Doha
  
  Raffles Doha
  
  /doha/
  
  /doha/booking/
  
  b662
- UAE
  
  Dubai
  
  Raffles Dubai
  
  /dubai/
  
  /dubai/booking/
  
  a5d8
- Saudi Arabia
  
  Mecca
  
  Raffles Makkah Palace
  
  /makkah/
  
  /makkah/booking/
  
  a5e4
- UAE
  
  The Palm Jumeirah
  
  Raffles The Palm Dubai
  
  /thepalm-dubai/
  
  /thepalm-dubai/booking/
  
  b8y0
North America
- United States
  
  Boston
  
  Raffles Boston
  
  /boston/
  
  /boston/booking/
  
  b3x2

Destination

Check-in

Rooms & Guests

Special Code

Accessible Room Required

ALL Loyalty number

16-digit subscription number

Loyalty number not found.

Promo Code

Codes that unlock special rates

Promo code doesn't exist.

Travel Agent

8-digit IATA Code

The code you entered is not valid.

Raffles 1887

Driving force

RAFFLES HOTELS & RESORTS

Raffles Hotels & Resorts

Explore

Connect

Links

GET THE APP

Raffles 1887

Driving force

RAFFLES HOTELS & RESORTS

Raffles Hotels & Resorts

Newsletter Sign Up

Explore

Connect

Links

GET THE APP