The Lexus LBX compact crossover, the LM luxury people carrier and the all-terrain GX full-scale SUV are completely different propositions, but at heart each one is truly “Lexus”.  They are taking Lexus into new market segments and giving customers the opportunity to personalise their luxury choices. They exemplify the qualities that are the essence of Lexus as an international luxury brand and support its “experience amazing” ethos.

Central to this is Omotenashi, the uniquely Lexus interpretation of the best traditions of Japanese hospitality. That means for driver and passengers alike, every need is anticipated and taken care of in a safe, welcoming and rewarding experience. Its influence extends from on-board comfort and well-being to seamless connectivity, comprehensive safety provisions the focused design of the driver’s cockpit.

Luxury craftsmanship is another distinguishing element in the Lexus ownership, with an attention to detail that is rooted in the finely honed skills of the Takumi craftspeople.

Moreover, the latest models go further in Lexus’ mission to “make luxury personal,” giving customers greater opportunities to specify their vehicle in a way that better reflects their individual preferences and character. This includes a move away from the established formalities of prestige cars to offer something that better fits more modern perceptions of what luxury means, with a more relaxed and casual feel.

To showcase their individual qualities and capabilities and to provide a first-hand insight into today’s Lexus brand, the LBX, LM and GX were recently brought together in an adventure programme in New Zealand. Influencers and lifestyle specialists from Europe and beyond were immersed in an authentic Lexus “amazing experience” that took them through spectacular landscapes of the South Island and introduced them to the richness of the local nature, culture and cuisine.

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Lexus LBX: redefining luxury craftsmanship in its class

The LBX is a game-changing model, the most compact Lexus model yet and one which brings authentic Lexus luxury to a whole new audience for the brand. This is a compact crossover that makes luxury personal, offering a wealth of choice, premium equipment features and a great driving experience, all with a more casual, contemporary feel. It’s a proposition that European customers have responded to in their thousands, putting the LBX firmly on course to become Lexus’ top-selling model in the region.

Lexus LM: redefining luxury transport

Lexus designed the LM – its “luxury mover” – to deliver the ultimate in luxury travel. It is a car in its class of its own, a people carrier where every detail of the on-board experience is focused on the comfort and well-being the occupants. Wherever the journey takes you, the atmosphere inside the LM is guaranteed to always be calm, quiet and supremely comfortable. The passengers ride in airline-style seats, with access to a 48-inch widescreen monitor and bespoke 23-speaker Mark Levinson Surround Sound system at their fingertips. The Lexus Climate Concierge ensures optimum temperature and air quality are maintained at all times.

Lexus GX: redefining the authentic off-roader with luxury

The all-new GX is a perfect illustration of the breadth of choice offered by today’s Lexus range. It is an authentic off-roader with imposing looks, all-terrain capabilities, combined with the luxury, driving rewards and advanced technologies that are key to every Lexus model. It’s a car that’s engineered for adventure, capable of mastering all kinds of challenging terrain: wherever the drive takes you, on smooth, fast roads or wilder trails, the Lexus GX can be relied on as the truest and most trusted partner.

For more information on these and all other new Lexus models, please visit https://www.lexus.eu/new-cars

Lexus has today unveiled ‘Shaped by Air,’ an installation by the acclaimed New York-based artist and architect Suchi Reddy, the founder of Reddymade Architecture and Design.  The work is being presented alongside the prototypes produced by the four winners of the Lexus Design Award 2023 in a public exhibition taking place at Milan’s Superstudio space until April 23^rd. Both the installation and the Lexus Design Award express an overarching theme of shaping the future.

The presentation is the latest in a series of compelling, immersive visitor experiences Lexus has brought to Milan Design Week, partnering with visionary creatives including Philippe Nigro, Neri Oxman, Sou Fujimoto, Rhizomatics and Germane Barnes, among others. Reddy’s ‘Shaped by Air’ maintains this tradition. Her work is inspired by the Lexus Electrified Sport, Lexus’ vision for a future all-electric sports coupe, and the quality it projects of being shaped by the air around it.

Reddy’s artwork was first presented at the Institute of Contemporary Art in Miami (ICA-Miami) during Miami Art & Design Week 2022. It has been reimagined for Milan Design Week as a multi-sensory experience which visitors can move through. The light and airy installation celebrates a commitment to human-centred, carbon-neutral and impeccably crafted design that is shared by both the artist and Lexus.

Brian Bolain, Lexus’ Global Head of Marketing, said: “We are thrilled to continue our collaboration with Suchi Reddy in Milan, a city that has inspired so much ground-breaking creativity. We hope that by placing her human-centred approach to design in dialogue with the innovation of our Lexus Design Award winners, we will inspire visitors to imagine new futures. The Lexus Electrified Sport and Reddy’s interpretation of it, together with these award-winning prototypes, represents forward-looking design and expresses our ongoing commitment to craftsmanship and sustainability.”

The site-specific installation inside Superstudio invites guests to discover a to-scale interpretation of the Lexus Electrified Sport after travelling through a forest-like collection of composite shapes, suspended from the ceiling. Set at varying heights and finished in a vibrant shade of green, these subtly call to mind the cut-outs of French painter Henri Matisse. The sculptural steel and aluminium elements are made partly from recycled or re-used consumer materials. Punctuated by dappled light, they create an absorbing environment that evokes the natural world. An accompanying soundscape inspired by the wind further helps bring visitors into harmony with nature.

Suchi Reddy commented: “I am excited to partner with Lexus – a brand committed to uplifting artists and designers – on a new iteration of ‘Shaped by Air’. This immersive interpretation in Milan makes use of repetition, multi-sensory elements and three-dimensionality to create an emotional environment that envelops the body like a car.”

Reflecting Lexus’ commitment to Omotenashi––a concept that encompasses both hospitality and mindfulness––the Superstudio space invites visitors to rest in an upstairs lounge, where they can observe ‘Shaped by Air’ from a different vantage point. The lounge’s air is purified by Panasonic’s nanoe™ X, a technology that helps create a healthier in-car atmosphere in many Lexus models.

Digital audiences will be able to engage with ‘Shaped by Air’ through a partnership with Diorama, a Milan and Paris-based digital creative agency. Diorama has imagined the installation as a metaverse experience that complements the physical installation, but has a life of its own. This virtual extension is realised as a dynamic digital forest. Users can explore an abstract natural world from a completely new perspective, one that is filled with the rustling of leaves, currents of air and diffusions of light. Diorama has also produced an augmented reality journey that visitors to the Milan exhibition will be able to discover on-site, using a custom Lexus Instagram filter.

Lexus Design Award 2023 winners’ prototypes

Lexus’ exhibition also includes the final prototypes created by the winners of the Lexus Design Award 2023. The competition invited designers to submit concepts that anticipate the challenge of the future, address it with an innovative solution and captivate the imagination with exceptional design, while seamlessly enhancing the happiness of all.

The works express Lexus’ belief that design has the power to deliver positive change. Now in its 11^th year, the award celebrates up-and-coming talent from around the world. The panel of judges – Paola Antonelli, Karim Rashid and Simon Humphries, all internationally respected figures in their creative fields – selected the concepts that best represented the theme of ‘Design for a Better Tomorrow’.

Simon Humphries, Toyota Motor Corporation Chief Branding Officer, said: “We as designers have a unique responsibility to create answers to challenges, whether that is through innovative ideas, beautiful aesthetics or any other method that could offer a better future. From this point of view, the winning ideas were a clear reminder of the ‘power of design’.”

Ahead of their showcase at Milan Design Week, the winners were given a unique opportunity to collaborate and share ideas with four world-class creators who served as this year’s Lexus Design Award mentors: Marjan van Aubel, Joe Doucet, Yuri Suzuki, and Sumayya Vally. 

The winners have significantly evolved their prototypes through the mentorship process, transforming already beautiful ideas into practical, scalable and ambitious designs.

●        Pavels Hedström (Sweden, based in Denmark), designer of Fog-X, a jacket that transforms into a tent/shelter and can catch fog that turns it into drinking water.

●        Jiaming Liu (China), designer of Print Clay Humidifier, a sustainable, 3D-printed humidifier made with recycled ceramic waste.

●        Temporary Office, [Singapore (Vincent Lai) and Canada (Douglas Lee), based in USA], designers of Touch the Valley, a 3D topographic puzzle that helps visually impaired people learn about the physical environment through touch.

●        Kyeongho Park and Yejin Heo (Republic of Korea), designers of Zero Bag, a new clothing package that dissolves in water and contains a detergent that can remove chemicals from products while reducing plastic waste.

Sumayya Vally commented: “It was incredible to witness the winners’ hard work manifested in the work they presented. I believe that each of the projects is poetically and pertinently posing meaningful and urgent questions about our present world, and bringing into being a more beautiful and responsive future.”

The final prototypes are on view for the first time in Milan. Visitors are invited to explore the works and learn about how the concepts evolved through the mentorship process.

The Lexus Design Award also welcomes the public to take part in the Your Choice Award and vote for the idea they feel best represents ‘Design for a Better Tomorrow’. The voting is open to those visiting in-person and also online here.

Lexus has been at the forefront of pioneering electrification in the luxury market since 2005. With the presentation of the Lexus Electrified Sport, it continues to push the boundaries of technology and craftsmanship with an unwavering commitment to sustainability and a consideration for the evolving needs of transportation and lifestyles worldwide.  Suchi Reddy’s installation highlights the potential of electrification and, together with the work of the Lexus Design Award winners, underscores Lexus’ vision for a future that is human-centred, carbon-neutral, and focused on craftsmanship and quality.

NOTES TO EDITORS

EVENT DETAILS

Dates

Press day: April 17^th, 3 pm to 9 pm

Public days: April 18^th to 22^nd, 11 am to 9 pm and April 23^rd, 11 am to 6 pm

Venue

Superstudio Più (Day Light)

Via Tortona, 27

20144 Milan, Italy

Exhibition details

‘Shaped by Air’ installation by Suchi Reddy

Prototype works by the winners of the Lexus Design Award 2023

Online experience

‘Shaped by Air’ Metaverse Experience : https://discoverlexus.com/stories/shaped-by-air-at-milan-design-week-2023/

Shaped by Air AR Filter: https://www.instagram.com/ar/1378144106301649/ 

Lexus Design Award ‘Your Choice Award’: http://lexusdesignaward.com/vote

ABOUT SUCHI REDDY

Suchi Reddy founded Reddymade in 2002 with an approach to design that privileges the emotional quality of human engagement with space. Guided by her mantra “form follows feeling,” Reddy’s architectural and artistic practice is informed by her research at the intersection of neuroscience and the arts. Working towards a larger idea of “design justice,” she is dedicated to expanding our notions of empathy, equity, and agency—where the importance of design is recognized as an asset for the benefit of all, not just for some.

Reddy teaches at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation, and Cooper Union’s Irwin S. Chanin School of Architecture. She was the 2022 Walton Critic at the Catholic University of America, and the Plym Distinguished Professor at the University of Illinois School of Architecture, Champaign–Urbana in 2019, where her work focused on contemporary architectural experience through the lens of neuroaesthetics, neurophenomenology, and sensory design.

She sits on the board of the Design Trust for Public Space, Storefront for Art and Architecture, and Madame Architect; and she is a member of the Dean’s Board of Advisors at Detroit Mercy School of Architecture + Community Development.

ABOUT THE LEXUS DESIGN AWARD 2023 WINNERS

Pavels Hedström　

Sweden, Based in Denmark

Pavels Hedström began his career as an architect after earning his Master of Architecture and Extreme Environments degree (architecture, design conservation) from the Royal Danish Academy. He explores how holistic approaches can be applied to existing ecosystems.

Fog-X　

Fog-X is a jacket that transforms into a tent/shelter that catches fog and turns it into drinking water. Through the mentorship programme, Fog-X has evolved significantly – both transforming from a heavy backpack to a light jacket/shelter and adding the creation of a mobile app for easy access to find fog. The idea became a solution incorporated in an everyday object.

Jiaming Liu

China

Jiaming Liu is an industrial designer who focuses on bringing fresh perspectives into people’s daily lives. He is currently exploring cross-cultural and sustainable design. He was born in China, where he completed his bachelor's degree, and recently graduated with a master's degree from Folkwang University of the Arts.

Print Clay Humidifier

Print Clay Humidifier is a 3D-printed humidifier made with recycled ceramic waste. After rounds of testing and prototyping with different materials and techniques, Jiaming landed on a 3D printing method and powdered ceramic (recycled from ceramic waste) that further improved water absorption efficiency. It is a non-electric, recycled and recyclable version of a common household device that is both functional and elegant.

Temporary Office

Vincent Lai (Singapore), Douglas Lee (Canada)

Based in USA

Temporary Office is a design team of Vincent Lai and Douglas Lee, graduates from University of California, Berkeley. They have worked on projects crossing the boundaries of architecture, public space, preservation and product design. With a strong focus on historical research and precedent, Temporary Office seeks to constructively respond to the ever-changing needs of our environment in a rational yet playful way.　

Touch the Valley

Touch the Valley is a 3D topographic puzzle that helps visually impaired people learn about the physical environment through the sense of touch. Taking feedback from user-testing, the puzzle’s playability was improved by the addition of small features, including magnet feedback, elevational grooves, and smoother edges – enabling people to enjoy immersing themselves in exploring and playing the puzzle without too much cognitive load.

Kyeongho Park & Yejin Heo　

Republic of Korea

Kyeongho Park & Yejin Heo are students majoring in industrial design at Hanyang University's ERICA campus in the Republic of Korea. They are concerned about social and environmental problems and explore user-centred solutions through design.

Zero Bag

Zero Bag is an eco-friendly packaging with paper detergent or baking soda film attached to an alginate water-soluble bag. Through the mentoring programme, Kyeongho and Yejin developed and articulated the potential use cases and target markets for this type of product. The idea for clothing packaging for the retail market evolved to include explorations for different industries, from clothes to food. The development process continues to evolve, as the designers embrace the myriad potential for their ideas.

As a leading luxury brand, Lexus has always been curious about what those notions are and has consistently sought to anticipate luxury consumers’ expectations. “From the very beginning, our greatest curiosity hasn’t been machines, it’s been people,” said Lisa Materazzo, vice president of Lexus marketing in the USA. “What moves them? What makes them tick? It’s the inspiration for everything we do. From the products we craft to the dealership experience, it’s what makes us uniquely Lexus.”

As part of ongoing efforts to exceed expectations, Lexus USA commissioned a study of more than 3,200 Americans from Gen Z to Baby Boomers. According to the study, exceptional experiences and quality top the list of demands. But new must haves have also entered into Americans’ future luxury expectations, including time for the occasional “digital detox,” a desire to be unique and an increased focus on wellness.

Amazing Experiences, Exceptional Quality

Simply put, luxury has always been about exceptional quality and, more recently, experiences over possessions. They are the single most inherent features of luxury and are the top “must-haves” for luxury brands, according to the study findings.

Most Americans (56%), feel that luxury is better described as a lifestyle of experiences than a collection of belongings. This trend is projected to continue, as the majority of Americans (73%) believe that identifying luxury with experiences over belongings will be just as, if not more, important in the next decade.

Indeed, looking to the future, successful luxury brands will differentiate themselves with quality experiences and service, not just quality products. A full 86 percent of Americans expect luxury brands to provide exceptional experiences¾from being highly responsive to customers’ needs, providing expert support, and focusing on the details; to the personal touch, such as knowing the customer’s name and preferences and even attention to the sensory, such as scent, lighting and mood.

The New Luxury: Digital Detox

Americans love their digital devices and will continue to demand and value technological advances that allow them to connect more seamlessly. That said, the dependency on these devices also has many feeling the pressure to be “plugged in” at all times. This might be why, in the next decade, almost three times as many people will associate luxury with the opportunity for the occasional “digital detox” time to voluntary refrain from social media, news, email and the internet from time-to-time.

To Know Me is to Love Me: Personalization

Americans want personalization to be built into the purchase process. Thinking ahead to the future, almost all (93%) expect to see just as much, if not more, features from luxury brands allowing them to make special requests. In fact, more than half (51%) are hoping to see additional tools and innovation supporting ways to customize their online luxury orders.

Having an Impact: Environment and Sustainability

Most Americans expect luxury brands to have environmentally friendly manufacturing processes (81%). More than seven in 10 also believe luxury brands should act like leaders on issues surrounding sustainability (71%).

And, they are open to innovative materials to help satisfy their demand for more sustainable manufacturing practices. In fact, nearly half (48%) look to see more original materials like faux leather and lab-grown diamonds in the future.

Scrutiny on how luxury brands embody “green” behaviour is expected to intensify. Looking into the future, this expectation as a luxury requirement increases by 8 percentage points, with a nearly a third (30%) saying it will be essential.

Some product categories are also held to a higher standard than others. Americans are more likely to say being environmentally friendly is more of a “must-have” for luxury brands in categories such as beauty/cosmetics, food and beverage, and automotive.

An Empowered Way of Living: Personal Enjoyment

The concept of luxury goes beyond what is tangible, with many Americans considering the freedom to enjoy oneself and focus on what’s important to be a luxury.

Those numbers are expected to increase in the next 10 years, with 51 percent saying time to enjoy oneself and 50 percent saying the freedom to focus on health and wellness will become even more of a luxury.

Looking Further: The Year 2050

Thirty years from now, Americans predict mind-reading technology, space travel and flying cars will be luxury symbols. Indeed, advanced technology leads the list in terms of what luxury is expected to look like in the year 2050. Top on the list are:

• Devices for mind reading
• Space vacations
• Flying cars
• Dream recording technology
• Brain implant devices to aid memory

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