Mazda Colour Event. Foto: Mazda
The journey from initial inspiration to the final colour of a vehicle is a meticulous process for Mazda’s European colour and material designers. It starts with mood board collages of images and materials that create a certain atmosphere and help the team to crystallise a vision and understand how different shades work together. The designers are constantly on the lookout for new, innovative colours and also use traditional methods. For example, when they gathered inspiration for a blue colour that could one day be seen on a Mazda vehicle. In this context, they also studied Aizome, the traditional Japanese craft of indigo dyeing. This involves dyeing fabrics with natural indigo to create deep, rich shades of blue. This process is more than just a method of dyeing fabric; it is a ritual that celebrates craftsmanship.
To rediscover this rich tradition, Mazda’s colour developers immersed themselves in the Aizome process, dyeing textiles by hand and experimenting with different techniques to create a spectrum of blues. The experience brought the team back in touch with the tactile, hands-on nature of craftsmanship that modern technology often distances us from today.
‘In this day and age, it’s easy to lose touch with the manual production of objects,’ says Alena Gersonde, Mazda Senior Designer for Colour and Materials. “But the colours and materials we develop are real; they will surround the drivers and passengers in our cars. That’s why we improve the design process when we work with real materials.” The colour development team then moved on to testing the blue colours on vehicle surfaces. Mazda used its innovative three-layer painting process, Takuminuri, to observe how the colour behaves on the vehicle surface and to ensure that it achieves the desired glow effect from within. The indigo blue created in this process is more than just a colour – it shows how tradition meets innovation, how craftsmanship merges with modern design. The new colour is still in the experimental phase. But it already promises to be rich and emotional, giving the car a sense of movement and vitality – and perfectly showcasing the Kodo design.
Japanese roots and global inspirations: In its search for inspiration, the team is always influenced by the outside world. Travelling is an important part of the creative process. During Milan Design Week 2024, Mazda designers immersed themselves in a world of inspiring materials, surfaces and trends. These first-hand experiences are essential to keeping Mazda’s designs fresh and relevant, blending the brand’s Japanese roots with global influences. The latest result of these explorations is the “Melting Copper” colour, which was first introduced on the equally robust and elegant Mazda CX-80. The colour is inspired by the timeless appeal of molten metal. To achieve the perfect balance between lustre and depth, fine-grained metals were mixed with a small amount of black pigment.
The full article was published in the March issue of eMove360° magazine in german language. Download a free PDF or order a print version at sabine.metzger@emove360.com.
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