Commissioning a Rolls-Royce means becoming a member of the ultra-exclusive, uber-posh automotive segment. Its most visible members are rock stars, celebrities, and captains of industry.
Many Rolls-Royce clients, however, are private individuals. "Money talks, wealth whispers" is the phrase that comes to mind here. If these folks wanted a loud car that proclaims how rich its owner is, they'd be in a Lamborghini.
A Rolls-Royce, on the other hand, is never brash or offensive. Intimidating at times, yes. But it doesn't yell, for it never has to. Its presence is tremendous yet dignified.
An even rarer world
Most clients who commission a Rolls-Royce do so under the brand's Bespoke programme. Through it, they personalise paint colours, leather hue/s and stitching. Paint-to-sample, or matching the car's paint to a particular colour, is also possible.
Under the Bespoke programme, clients can also customise the Starlight Headliner so that it reflects the sky on a particular date, such as their birthday or wedding anniversary.
However, for owners seeking even greater scope for personalisation, the Bespoke programme isn't enough. For instance, if you want embroidery on the Starlight Headliner, Bespoke cannot execute this. For truly one-of-a-kind commissions, you need Private Office.
In Private Office, clients work with a Bespoke Designer and coordinate their commission with the Private Office Manager. These designations sound simple, but the actual roles are complex, multifaceted, and require absolute discretion. It's like an intelligence agency from the silver screen - the titles sound innocuous, but you'll never know what they do or what exactly goes on behind the scenes.
It's worth noting that Private Office's doors will only open for a select few. Dealers will recommend clients to Rolls-Royce, and if approved, Private Office will accept their commission. As such, having several Rolls-Royces does not guarantee entry into Private Office.
Worldwide, there are only five Private Offices: Goodwood (Rolls-Royce's headquarters), Dubai (the first overseas location), New York, Shanghai, and Seoul.
If you know, you know
Private Office Seoul isn't hidden, but its address isn't listed either. Search for it on Naver Maps (it works way better than Google in South Korea) and Google and the only result is the dealership. Even Rolls-Royce Asia Pacific only told me which floor to visit in Lotte World Tower & Mall. No unit number was provided.
If Rolls-Royce wanted me to feel like a spy, they were succeeding brilliantly.
Emerging from the Jamsil metro station, my better half and I entered Lotte World Mall and asked the lady at the information counter where the lifts were. She asked where we were headed and when I said, "Rolls-Royce Private Office" she genuinely looked puzzled. However, since it was on a floor higher than the mall, she directed us to the office tower.
Upon reaching the designated floor, we found ourselves in a nondescript space filled with corporate offices of domestic banks. After walking down several corridors and away from the bright white LED lights, I spotted the doorway of a hanok or traditional Korean house with the distinctive 'RR' logo in the middle. A warm light illuminated it from behind.
I rang the doorbell after hesitating. Moments later, Jeffrey Choi, the Private Office Manager, appeared and welcomed us inside.
Surprisingly, any feelings of nervousness began to dissipate. It was -6 degrees Celsius outside, but here, it was warm and welcoming. We were introduced to James Bazun, the Bespoke Designer, who began telling us about his work. Interestingly, we didn't have to sign any non-disclosure agreements.
Each Private Office is staffed by a Manager and a Designer, and the Seoul Office takes on about 20 commissions a year. Only one or two customers visit Private Office Seoul monthly; the rest of the time, Jeff and James are flying to meet their clients.
A glimpse of the process
Commissioning a car in Private Office goes beyond colour choices, and the only way to bring a client's vision to reality is to get to know the customer. This can take months, and sometimes even years.
As James put it, this process requires a personal connection. It entails learning about the client's personality, his ambitions, hopes and dreams. His business and his family. Only then will the result be truly satisfying.
We were shown some samples of commissions - some finished, others still a work in progress. Naturally, Jeff and James made sure that any artwork they shared was either already available to media or approved by clients to be shown to others (but not published). Naturally, the identities of the owners were never divulged.
I felt like we had been 'read-in' or given access to state secrets. Yet at the same time, I was aware that we were only skimming the surface of Private Office's capabilities.
Curious, I asked James if clients could also ask Rolls-Royce to create furniture for their homes. And since they work with leather, could they also create one-of-a-kind accessories like luggage or handbags?
"We don't like saying no to clients," he replied. "If a client wants it, we do our utmost to deliver."
Speaking of which, Jeff mentioned that the furniture in their office is bespoke. It's part of what makes the space feel polished and put together, yet homey and comfortable.
Before I knew it, three hours had passed. By this point, any thoughts about filming clips for an Instagram Reel had long vanished. Perhaps it's just me, but in Private Office, the thought of doing anything on social media felt crass.
Also, I was still imagining myself as an intelligence agent that had just been shown top-secret information. That means whatever you see on this page - images included - is 'declassified'.
Though unwritten and unspoken, I had two choices. Remain discreet and should I one day have the means to commission a Rolls-Royce, Private Office might be open to me. Or film and publish videos, and I'll never see the inside of a Private Office again - not even as a visitor.
Maybe I'm overthinking the secrecy bit, but in this world, discretion is a given. Also, I wouldn't mind visiting another Private Office in the future. So, although it's unlikely that I'll ever become a Rolls-Royce client, I chose the second option.
