5 min read
British actor Orlando Bloom has headlined blockbuster movies since his early 20s—a rollercoaster ride that gave him little time for anything else. But now, as he’s approaching 50, he’s finally been able to develop another love: cars. More specifically, Porsche.
It began with the black-and-tan 1973 911S he bought in L.A. in the early 2000s. And it culminated last month with Bloom unveiling a capsule collection he designed with Porsche Design that features sunglasses and a unique piece of clothing—a hooded leather bomber. For a die-hard Porsche nut like Bloom, the launch was not the end of the creative collaboration with the Stuttgart-based brand. In fact, as he tells it, it’s only the beginning.
Esquire: How did you approach this new project with Porsche?
Orlando Bloom: I think everything starts for me with authenticity. Collaborating with a brand like Porsche is such a great privilege. I’m a huge fan to start with, but it’s authentic because my passion for the brand goes as far back as I can remember.
Courtesy of Porsche Design
“My passion for the brand goes as far back as I can remember.”
At some point you crossed the divide between being a fan and a driver and being a collaborator.
It really was an organic thing. A few years ago, I took myself to Stuttgart to custom build a 911 GT3 Touring, about which I was over the moon. It was a sort of gift to myself. I’ve driven a lot of great cars in my time, but for me, Porsche is the driver’s car. It’s the driving experience. So, I basically met with them, and they could see that I’m a fan. Later, I went back to Stuttgart one weekend during a break in filming in the UK. And it was then that one of the members of the team said to me, “We really see your enthusiasm, and we’re looking for somebody to partner with us on the design front”. And so, it all came about very naturally out of them just seeing my genuine passion for the brand.
You set out with Porsche Design in two categories, in sunglasses and in a single piece of clothing, a leather jacket. What was your contribution on the jacket?
What I wanted to bring to it was a modern, casual feeling. That comes from both the fit and the fabrics. It’s an easy, drop-shouldered shape so it flows and makes it a bit more street. It drops off the shoulder a bit and because of the nature of the leather, it drapes beautifully. You can either have it hang straight, or you can make it more of a blouson shape with the cinches to make it feel sportier.
The leather feels very high quality, which is, of course, what you’d expect from Porsche Design. But it’s also very functional. The double zip means you can zip it all the way up or open it up from the bottom if, say, you’re on a bike. Then there are cinches to make it fit a bit closer, and vents under the arms to let the air circulate. We even had conversations around the sleeve and the length, because I want to have my watch pop.
Courtesy of Porsche Design
“What I wanted to bring to it was a modern, casual feeling.” Bloom says of the leather jacket in the capsule. “That comes from both the fit and the fabrics.”
In fact, a hood is a surprisingly street vibe from Porsche design. Was that you?
The hood was all me! In the design process, there were a lot of conversations about having a collar and a hood that zips into it. But I went with a full hood because I love a hood. I like the way it falls beautifully over the back of the jacket. I like the size of the hood too; it feels just right. If you take this out in in the spring and if it rains, okay, you’ve got a hood. And the jacket is also fully reversible, so you get two in one.
We’re talking luxury branding here. You could have lined it in cashmere. Why nylon?
The contrast of the matte nylon and the supple leather just makes it really versatile. If it rains you can turn it inside out, though honestly, this leather is so good; it’s a fine lamb leather and it’s only going to get better with age. It’s all that stuff about leather that I love. Personally, I’d let mine get rained on, and then it will just age beautifully.
And alongside the jacket, three new sunglasses inspired by the 911 Targa. What were you looking for there?
They needed to be light, in both senses. Titanium, because it has to be lightweight enough that you can’t really feel them when you’re wearing them. But in another sense, I didn’t want the lenses so dark that you couldn’t see the wearer’s eyes. I wear sunglasses for the sun and, sometimes, as a disguise, but I like to be able to see the eyes. If I’m talking to somebody, I’m wearing my glasses, I’m not taking them off. But I want you to know I’m looking at you and paying attention.
Porsche Design Targa #1 Sunglasses by Orlando Bloom
Porsche Design Leather Jacket — Orlando Bloom Special Edition
Where do you take it from here with Porsche?
Well, I’d love to make this jacket a whole suit. Like, I think this jacket is great. I’d like the pant to match it, something that’s equally reversible and comfortable to wear. And then some cool T-shirts that my son would wear as well. It’s such an iconic brand, and while you may not be able to afford the car, you can go in and buy a pair of sunglasses and feel you’re representing something beautiful and timeless.
So, you see a through path to something bigger here. But what do you want to bring to the table?
I think it’s about attitude. The cars have attitude. And so, you have a capsule collection that has attitude and see how that goes. Don’t flood the market. Don’t oversaturate. And if you’re a kid from London or L.A. who can’t afford the car, but the jacket is cool, and you’ve saved up for that, then great. If we do something right, then it’s got to have a vibe to it.
Courtesy of Porsche Design
“I think it’s about attitude,” Bloom says of working with Porsche Design. “The cars have attitude. And so, you have a capsule collection that has attitude and see how that goes.”
Actors and cars seem to be a long-standing thing right? Acting came first for you but were cars always inevitable?
Paul Newman was one of my favorite actors of all time. He famously, had an incredible career as a racing driver. And Steve McQueen too—all those people. So, there is a thing between actors and cars and experiences. And I’ve always loved cars; I wish I started driving earlier. But in my 20s it was all giant movies; there was just no time. But now, I’m really tempted to build out other ideas. I’ve been very vocal about how much I love Porsche, so I hope they’re still wheeling me out in one when I’m old and gray.