Buying a Bentley is always about the passion of customising the car to the last detail. And one of the most requested customisation part is the upholstery.
With an exact 712 stitches per diamond, Bentley’s striking Diamond-in-Diamond Quilting pattern for the interiors of the new Continental GT and Continental GT Convertible models is now ordered by three-quarters of all customers, as part of the Mulliner Driving Specification.
The Diamond-in-Diamond Quilting requires a high level of skill to produce and has a complex design story and manufacturing process. The pattern can be commissioned for all four seats, door casings and rear quarters. It is soft to the touch and truly stunning in appearance when viewed from both the inside and outside of the cars. Combining intricate stitching and embroidery, the unique quilting concept features a grid of elegant diamonds.
Initially designed for the Continental GT and GTC, the Diamond-in-Diamond concept adds a more sporting look to the cars’ interior, alongside the other elements of the Mulliner Driving Specification: 22” lightweight forged alloy wheels, embroidered Bentley emblems, additional veneer options, a jewelled-finish fuel filler, sports pedals and indented leather headliner.
A new quilting interpretation, inspired by the Diamond-in-Diamond technique is now being rolled out for Bentley’s new Flying Spur, launched in 2019. The new design features an elegant series of ever-lengthening diamonds tumbling down the seat, in precise yet seemingly random formation – this new technique uses the same machinery as the original Diamond-in-Diamond pattern.
The Diamond-in-Diamond Quilting concept cannot, therefore, be mass produced, and requires specialist skill and bespoke machinery to execute.
The concept features a floating diamond within a main grid of larger diamonds. Unlike more simple or traditional quilting designs, the Diamond-in-Diamond requires more than just a simple sewing machine to complete the pattern, and cannot be achieved by hand. Specialist machine embroidery is employed, with a twofold result: solving the problem of how to achieve this complex pattern, as well as adding a new process that brings extra value in the highest level of craftsmanship.
The visible appearance of the Diamond-in-Diamond stitching is inherently shinier than the classic running stitch used in Bentley’s original quilting techniques and other forms of embroidery and stitching. The diamond stitches have a 3-dimensionality due to the quality of thread – the diamonds ooze luxury.
