Have you ever seen someone in a white puffer jacket and thought, “They kind of look like the Michelin man.” Someone at Mercedes must have, because its latest fashion-world collaboration is an art piece that merges puffer jacket style with automotive design.
Dubbed the Project Mondo G, the art installation was unveiled today at the Moncler “The Art of Genius” show, which took place during London Fashion Week in the U.K. The conceptual art piece is intended to be an unexpected nod to both Mercedes and Moncler, according to Britta Seeger, Mercedes’ head of marketing and sales.
“We are very excited about collaborating with Moncler to create another ‘X-factor brand moment’. At Mercedes-Benz, we are committed to engage in culture and society,” said Seeger. “Our co-creation with Moncler offers an unexpected experience of both brands. This debut collaboration with Moncler opens new horizons and a potential of opportunities for more news to come soon.”
Read: Project Maybach x Virgil Abloh Concept Is A Strange Off-Road Coupe With An External Roll Cage
The team behind the Project Mondo G said they are playing with the contrasts between the rectilinear design of the SUV and the soft, round design of the jacket. Mercedes says that this creates a “fusion of opposites,” which transforms the G-Class into a sculpture.
In addition to featuring massive, quilted wheels and a similarly quilted roof that exaggerate the proportions of the G-Class, the Project Mondo G also features a number of more subtle details. These include the zipper on the roof, the very off-roady raised air intake, and the patinated exterior of the vehicle, which makes it look more like a real off-roader.
“Two strong luxury brands offer an extraordinary new experience by combining automotive and fashion world united in one piece,” said Gorden Wagener, Mercedes’ chief design officer. “Because of over-dimensional and exaggerated language of forms it’s polarizing art to set new impulses and trends.”
Despite being an art piece, the Project Mondo G, is a sizable beast, weighing in at 2.5 metric tons. With the addition of the wheels, meanwhile, it measures in at 11-feet (3.4 meters) in width, nine feet (2.8 meters) in height, and 15 feet (4.6 meters) in length.
