The co-creative director of Bentley Motors on heritage, authenticity and opening up classic car culture to a new generation.
When Mai Ikuzawa was appointed co-creative director of Bentley Motors last summer, she was already well versed on the ins and outs of brand creation. As the creative director of her motorsport heritage label Team Ikuzawa, she shaped the Japanese brand around her father, the legendary racing driver Tetsu Ikuzawa, who participated in the Japanese Grand Prix before taking Europe by storm, both automotively and stylistically.
Team Ikuzawa grew organically, launching clothes, accessories and even interiors, while picking up tastemaker fans like driving legend Jacky Ickx and über-designer Daniel Arsham. Ikuzawa sees her brief for Bentley as no different. “All the elements are there,” says Ikuzawa, who splits her time between Chamonix and London and is speaking to Robb Report from the former. “It’s about using history and making it relevant today, but being quite restrained with logo usage and brand colours.”
Together with her co-creative director, photographer and film director Greg Williams, Ikuzawa says that taking Bentley to the next level will mean “more honesty, vulnerability and authenticity”, while she praises the marque’s boldness in choosing an Asian woman for her role. Ikuzawa will also endeavour to make historic car culture appeal to a diverse range of people. “It’s important that we share the passion, the happiness—that’s how you build communities. It’s about emotional connection.”
How do you start your day?
I take 10 minutes to scroll through automotive social media content, and 10 minutes of red light therapy on my face while listening to The Economist’s podcast, The World in Brief. Then—and this depends on the time of year—I ski for an hour before switching to work mode.
What items do you keep on your desk?
Lots of historical Team Ikuzawa [model] race cars such as a 1967 Porsche Carrera 6, a Kremer Porsche 935 from Le Mans and a Honda S800 Nürburgring class winner. My father used to return from race weekends or business trips and gift me racing merchandise—so I built a love for these small diecast toys. As a designer, their exterior designs and liveries are a source of inspiration.
What constitutes luxury to you?
The uninterrupted time to read and think.
Best road trip?
The Norra Baja 1000 endurance race in Mexico, where I was recently principal of two teams. It’s held in a dangerous part of the world—the terrain, of course, but also never knowing what’s going to happen. There’s only certain roads and road trips that still feel sacred today—anyone can drive a modern car, but in Baja you need mechanical cars that you have to fix, what with all the accidents, breakdowns, the terrain and tequilas, and sleeping in collapsible bunkbeds with 20 others. But nothing bad ever happens because there’s so much team spirit and mutual respect. I came away addicted to this kind of racing.
What is the car you are most attached to?
My own Bentley Continental GT Speed is an impressive machine—a V8 that can produce 567 kW and 1,000 Nm of torque and go from zero to 60mph in 3.1 sec—and I’ve specced it with Bentley’s Barnato Green colour for the exterior and St James Red pinstripe on the front side spoiler. I chose a titanium exhaust, black grill and black wheels. The interior features Saddle brown hide with a Copper Stone dashboard—the latter was radical but I felt it really worked with the brushed cross hatch metallic finish.
Do you have a favourite city?
London and Tokyo have always cultivated really creative people. But what makes them equally incredible is the sense of humour. I love the sarcastic, almost dry, masochistic humour in both cultures.
What items do you love to collect?
I’ve been burgled several times, with literally everything stolen, and it has been a great life lesson to not place value on material things. I’ve become very Zen in my Japanese faith and learnings. Owning things is a huge responsibility so I’ve really stopped collecting anything, which is interesting since it’s the opposite of my father. He’s a professional collector who has archived his life’s work in the most immaculate way.
How do you like to relax?
Drive fast. Ski powder. Where do you get your clothes? I generally wear my own brand, Team Ikuzawa, and the pieces that I design through collaborations. But I also mix in my friends’ labels, which are mostly Japanese: Neighborhood, Fragment, Sequel, Sacai, Careering, Undercoverism, to name a few. I also really consider my accessories—eyewear, watches, shoes… and socks, which are so important. I especially love Applied Art Forms’s Cased Heavyweight socks in ecru.
Who is your designer icon?
My paternal grandfather Rou Ikuzawa. Rou was a prolific and diverse artist, with talents ranging from Japanese sumi-é and pencil sketches to European-influenced oil paintings. Our family line was pretty poor, but a wealthy patron later supported my grandfather and changed his life, transforming him into this handsome, phenomenally stylish man who went skiing, purchased European cars and dressed beautifully.
Who do you admire most, and why?
The Duke of Richmond. He’s truly democratised elite motorsport with Goodwood. You have the most phenomenal machines—from V10 F1 cars to rare Ferrari 250 GTOs—but it doesn’t matter who you are, there’s only a wooden fence that separates you from the cars. He’s built this incredible business on his estate, which now includes aviation, horse racing and art. I admire that he’s so old-school, yet so modern and entrepreneurial.
What’s the best advice you’ve received?
I like Charlie Munger’s view: “Take a simple idea and take it seriously.”
What have you done recently for the first time?
Ice driving lessons in Sweden with Below Zero, by the man and legend Richard Tuthill, in one of its world-class rally Porsches. There was an immense amount of one-to-one technical training in the safe-ish, 12 km rally course on ice.
Do you have a personal mantra?
Drive Italian, Dress Japanese, Drink Mexican, Kiss French.
