sean wotherspoon rethreads multicolored porsche carrera with denim, corduroy and flannel
porsche 911 carrera 2.7rs becomes a Rolling Tapestry of Color
In Los Angeles, designer Sean Wotherspoon has reimagined a Porsche 911 Carrera 2.7RS, working closely with a small team of collaborators to refinish and reupholster every visible surface. The car comes from the garage of collector and commissioner Philip Sarofim, and has since been transformed over the course of eight months into an expression of Wotherspoon’s longtime connection with car culture and playful colorways.
A new platform for Wotherspoon’s distinctive design vocabulary, the 2.7RS was brought to life with the help of the creative agency Stuff by Spot and product designer Duncan Bonar. The base car is a favorite model in Porsche’s legacy and offered both opportunity and risk, which the designer acknowledged in an interview with the Porsche-centric storytelling platform Type 7: ‘I was a little apprehensive at first because the value of these cars,’ he explained, ‘but honored at the same time.’
images © Hagop Kalaidjian | @hagop
Sean wotherspoon’s signature Color-Blocking
The attention-grabbing color palette of the redesigned Porsche 911 Carrera 2.7RS echoes Sean Wotherspoon’s previous projects, especially his Taycan collaboration from 2022 (see here). It also references Philip Sarofim’s role at Meyers Manx with colors like ‘Old Red,’ originally developed for the dune buggy company. Though the project isn’t a formal Manx collaboration, this use of its heritage hues allows for an intentional blurring of automotive identities. The hood alone acts as an historic nod and connects Porsche’s racing heritage to the whimsical lineage of Manx fiberglass bodies.
Each panel is individually painted, matching the precision of Wotherspoon’s past work while embracing the character of older materials. The approach recalls the patchwork identity of his Harlequin Golf, which he credits as a foundational influence: ‘I want everything to be color blocked,‘ he tells Type 7. The inspiration carries through the Carrera’s bodywork in subtle variations, with even the tones being selected to match the character of the original RS silhouette.
Sean Wotherspoon transforms a Porsche 911 Carrera 2.7RS with a full custom repaint and upholstery
a cabin wrapped in cork, denim and flannel
Inside, the car takes on a different texture entirely. Wotherspoon layers the cabin with vintage Levi’s denim, corduroy, and flannel, fabrics sourced from garments dating back to the 1960s. ‘It’s all made with vintage Levi’s denim and flannel shirts,’ he continues. ‘I also used some corduroy in there because it’s one of my favorite materials, and the cork dashboard is also really special. The cork was leftover from the Taycan project, so it has a little bit of modern Porsche running through it.’
The materials are not selected just for novelty, but for meaning. The denim used on the driver’s seat, for example, was chosen for its distinctive wear pattern. Levi’s pockets on the door cards, while sideways, are fully functional. The front trunk is covered in a patchwork lining, extending the interior logic of reuse and repair. ‘You couldn’t find a flaw if you tried,’ Wotherspoon says of the upholstery work. ‘Every stitch is perfect.‘
each exterior panel is painted individually using archival and custom colors
Wotherspoon traces his fascination with color-blocking back to late nights on VW Vortex forums as a teenager. The discovery of the rare and colorful Volkswagen Harlequin, and eventually owning one, seeded an aesthetic that has carried through to his work with Nike, Adidas, and now Porsche. With this latest project, the hybridization of automotive heritage and vintage streetwear finds a more tactile form.
The car debuted on the streets of Los Angeles. ‘It’s really something to drive that car around LA on a summer’s day,’ the designer recalls. ‘Nature is always creating so much color and we always look at it as beauty… so I tried to bring that into the project.’
Although the project is informed by Porsche history, its spirit is about reinterpretation rather than preservation. Personal references and unexpected material stories are layered into the design. ‘My goal is to always use as much color as I can,’ he explains, ‘but use it in a way that’s done so well that it doesn’t hurt your eyes. You know, a way that makes you curious.’
the interior features vintage Levi’s denim, flannel shirts, and corduroy from the ’60s through the ’90s
functional details include door cards with Levi’s pockets and a frunk lined in fabric collage
the project was commissioned by collector Philip Sarofim and realized with the help of Stuff by Spot
the dashboard is made of cork repurposed from Wotherspoon’s previous Taycan collaboration
the color-blocked design draws inspiration from Wotherspoon’s own Harlequin Golf
project info:
model: Porsche 911 Carrera 2.7RS
designer: Sean Wotherspoon | @sean_wotherspoon
car owner: Philip Sarofim | @meyersmanxoutlaw
collaborators: Duncan Bonar | @dunc_werks, Stuff by Spot | @stuffbyspot
original publisher: Type 7 | @type7
photographer: © Hagop Kalaidjian | @hagop
The post sean wotherspoon rethreads multicolored porsche carrera with denim, corduroy and flannel appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.