Automotive and fashion collaborations are nothing entirely new. For example, think of Paul Smith and his various bespoke mini creations.
But this latest example is a more left-wing result of a partnership between German car giant Mercedes-Benz and Italian luxury fashion house Moncler.
Called Project Mondo G, it’s a £131,000 Mercedes G-Class clad in a puffer jacket. And it’s probably the strangest machine to come out of a collaboration between the two sectors that we’ve seen to date.
The 4X4’s rear and side windows and huge, monster-truck-style tires are covered in the glittery nylon fabric used for the fashion label’s luxury coats, while the roof — also draped in the material — even has a zipper, inspired by the top of the windshield over to the trunk lid.
The Mercedes in a coat: The German auto giant has collaborated with fashion label Moncler to drape a luxe puffer jacket over a G-Wagen to create Project Mondo G
The hideous Mercedes snow van: The concept vehicle was designed for a presentation at London Fashion Week
If you haven’t heard of Moncler, the Milan fashion house specializes in statement outerwear, with its puffer jackets generally priced at well over £1,000 each.
The one-of-a-kind concept was created with Mercedes as part of the label’s ‘The Art of Imagination’ showpiece for London Fashion Week, which began on February 17th and continues to this day.
The design fuses characteristics of the G-Class and the fashion brand’s coats, resulting in one of the strangest four-wheeled creations we’ve seen.
The 4X4’s rear and side windows and giant monster truck tires are covered in the glittering nylon fabric used for the fashion label’s luxury coats
Design drawings from the partnership show how the two brands wanted to fuse the luxury items into a unique work of art
The design drawings show the intention of lining the underside of the huge 4X4 with the puffer jacket fabric
The roof – also draped in down jacket fabric – even has a zipper that runs from the top of the windshield to the trunk lid
It is the first automobile cooperation in which Moncler was involved. And if this design is anything, we hope it’s the last.
“The ‘Art of Imagination’ theme is an inspiring message to dream big and explore your own firsts: break new ground, bring the impossible within reach and discover without limits,” says Mercedes.
Britta Seeger, Head of Marketing and Sales at Mercedes-Benz Group AG, describes the creation of the G-Wagen as an “X-Factor Brand Moment”.
She adds: “At Mercedes-Benz we are committed to culture and society.
“Our co-creation with Moncler offers an unexpected experience of both brands.
‘This debut collaboration with Moncler opens up new horizons and potential opportunities for more news to come.’
The one-of-a-kind concept was created with Mercedes as part of the label’s ‘The Art of Imagination’ showpiece for London Fashion Week, which began on February 17th and runs through today (February 21st).
Due to the huge tires, the G-Wagen increases by more than half a meter from 2.2 to 2.8 meters, while the weight remains about the same at 2.5 tons
The design fuses characteristics of the G-Class and the fashion brand’s coats, resulting in one of the strangest four-wheeled creations we’ve seen
The combination of a G-Class 4X4 and the ‘style-defining’ Moncler puffer jacket has resulted in a moon buggy that wouldn’t have looked out of place in the backdrop of East 17’s beloved 1994 Christmas hit, Stay Another Day.
The Mercedes has been given a patina effect with the panels sprayed for an aged look.
“This forms the visual counterpoint to the perfect, high-gloss mirror surfaces that underpin the claim to luxury,” the two companies explain.
In case you’ve never heard of Moncler, the Milan fashion house specializes in statement outerwear
Moncler down jackets are generally priced well over £1,000 per item. The brand was founded in 1952 in Monestier-de-Clermont, France
Project Mondo G is Moncler’s first automotive collaboration. And if this design is anything, we hope it’s the last
The combination of a G-Class 4X4 and the ‘style-defining’ Moncler puffer jacket has resulted in a moon buggy that wouldn’t have looked out of place in the backdrop of East 17’s beloved 1994 Christmas hit, Stay Another Day
The giant zipper is “another deliberately eye-catching and eye-catching element,” the brands add: “The zipper is a practical indication of the versatility and variability of both products, vehicle and jacket.”
Due to the huge tires, the G-Wagen increases by more than half a meter from 2.2 to 2.8 meters, while the weight remains about the same at 2.5 tons.
The quilted wheels also make the G-Class creation 3.4 meters wide – an increase from the 2 meters of the standard car.
That means the Project Mondo G is the same width as two Ford Fiestas, so trying to park it would no doubt be a major headache.
The body of the Mercedes G-Class has been given a patina effect, with the bezels sprayed for an aged look providing a “visual counterpoint to the perfect, high-gloss mirror surfaces” of the shell material
While the collaboration in the automotive and fashion sectors is nothing particularly new, we can’t recall any other resulting vehicle zipping up
One of the most famous – and longest-running – fashion and automotive collaborations is Paul Smith (left) and his various bespoke Minis from 1999. This was the first – an original Mini with the iconic stripes from his own fashion collection
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