BOYS WILL BE BOYS I've been drawing cars all my life. From an early age I'd go to vintage hill climbs and old motor racing events with my father. He was a vintage-car enthusiast and had an Alvis Speed 20. It was the smell of the cars and the speed that I loved. I was seven when I started building my own go-karts out of wood.
By the time I was around 13, all I wanted to do in life was design cars. So I went on to study transport design at Coventry University [in Britain], then to the Royal College of Art, in London, where I got a master's in automotive design.
BAGS, PLANES AND AUTOMOBILES At home in Coventry, I drive an XK Coupe and have an old military-inspired Land Rover. I also love motorbikes, planes and vintage aircraft. My father was an architect, so he taught me to appreciate architecture and design in general. I absorb all these things and bake them into my designs. I also keep a close eye on fashion trends, from Bulgari handbags to Rolex wristwatches.
On trips like [the one to Hong Kong], it inspires me to come out of my context and expose myself to different environments. I walk the streets, observe the car culture and try to understand what makes people tick. For example, why do Middle Eastern customers want gold-plated badges and white cars?