A BLEND OF DESIGN AND CRAFTSMANSHIP AS THE WORLDS OF BENTLEY MOTORS AND DUBAI DESIGN WEEK CONVERGE

Bentley Motors today announces an exciting new partnership by collaborating with young local designer, Hessa Al Suwaidi on the creation of a bespoke exhibition with the largest creative platform and festival in the Middle East, Dubai Design Week, taking place from 8 – 13 November 2021.

With its main hub at Dubai Design District (d3), Dubai Design Week’s varied programme consists of design-related events, exhibitions, installations, talks and workshops across multiple creative disciplines.

Bentley Motors will be collaborating and creating a bespoke exhibition using one of the brand’s hero models, the Flying Spur. Hessa Al Suwaidi will work on designing the creative installation staged at the festival, using inspiration from Bentley’s craftsmanship and design of movement, whilst integrating with a modern iteration of traditional Emirati craft and bringing the craft to life through print created movement.

Hessa Al Suwaidi will be given the opportunity to collaborate with Bentley’s central design team to draw from the brand’s extraordinary design, technical and craftsmanship skills by creating a bespoke piece which will demonstrate the colliding of two worlds.

Born and raised in the UAE, Hessa Al Suwaidi graduated with a BA in Textiles from Loughborough University in UK, now based in New York to further her design study and gain an MFA in Textiles from Parsons School of Design.  Her exploration and development lies with hybrid processes such as integrating the use of traditional craft techniques with modern iterations.

Firas Kandalaft, Head of Marketing & Communications, said; “Bentley Motors as a brand is focused on delivering the extraordinary in everything it does, and this is a nice example of a true partnership collaboration which is focused around what sits at our heart – craftsmanship and design. Working with Dubai Design Week and this inspirational young designer, Hessa, offers a great connection to something which is important to us all, and we look forward to being a part of this year’s festival and seeing this final exhibition design.”

Mette Degn-Christensen, Director of Dubai Design Week, said; “We are happy to have Bentley Motors as a partner of Dubai Design Week. As a world leader in craftsmanship design and innovation, the Bentley ethos is very much in line with ours, and we look forward to showcasing their creative concept to the public during the festival in d3.”

Since 1919, Bentley’s uncompromising vision has created the highest levels of bespoke luxury, with a clear, instantly recognisable bloodline running throughout all of Bentley’s designs. Bentley’s tradition of craftsmanship is unlike any other in the automotive industry, and is the result of the devotion of the highly skilled people who work at the Bentley factory in Crewe – not just to the creation of the world’s finest cars but also to passing their skills on to the next generation.

Dubai Design Week is owned and managed by the Art Dubai Group, and is held under the dedicated patronage of Her Highness Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairperson of Dubai Culture and Arts Authority (DCAA). It is staged in strategic partnership with Dubai Design District (d3 alongside Dubai Culture & Arts Authority (DCAA) and supported by A.R.M. Holding), and supported by Dubai Culture & Arts Authority and A.R.M. Holding.

Dubai Design Week is a free-to-attend event. Visitors can download the free Dubai Design Week app to discover the full programme, register for Downtown Design, the region’s leading design fair, and be kept updated on the latest health and safety guidelines. The Dubai Design Week app is available on Apple App Store and Google Play Store.