Surprising Celebrity Yacht Designers

Fashion designer Roberto Cavalli is renowned for producing bold clothes that feature exotic animal prints. As both a designer and a lover of superyachts, it was only a matter of time before this celebrated creative would turn his hand to naval design. Together with Studio Spadolini, Cavalli worked on both the exterior and interior design of his batmobile-inspired yacht Freedom. Delivered by Cerri Cantieri Navali in 2018, the interior is finished with Cavalli's signature leopard-spot prints.

A chance meeting between film star Brad Pitt and designer Frank Pollaro at the former’s French chateau in 2008 led to the formation of Pitt-Pollaro – a furniture collaboration based on Pitt’s extensive sketches. Combining modern design with luxurious and rare materials, the pieces grace more than a few stylish superyachts and always make Pitt-Pollaro one of the top luxury brands to grace the annual Monaco Yacht Show. Furnish your own superyacht with this glass-topped coffee table at pitt-pollaro.com.

It was concerns about the declining local boat building community in his native Long Island that led music legend Billy Joel to design a beautiful day boat in collaboration with Doug Zurn and CH Marine. The 11.58 metre Shelter Island Runabout is inspired by traditional teak tenders and offers a huge range of customisable options from cockpit layout to wood finishes and engine size. Launched in 1996 and with each built to order, the design has proved extremely popular with upwards of 40 hulls sold. After the success of their first model, the pair collaborated again to produce the 17 metre Vendetta.

So far does rock star Lenny Kravitz’s passion for design stretch that in 2003 he founded his own specialist firm: Kravitz Design Inc. Along with designing interiors for numerous luxury penthouses – along with the uber-swanky set for The Queen Latifah Show – Kravitz also teamed up with Swarovski on the stunning Casino Royal chandelier. Available in four superyacht-friendly sizes, it is the perfect embodiment of the growing importance of superyacht lighting trends.

When it comes to choosing the best gym equipment for superyachts, who better to ask for advice than world 100 metre champion and multiple Olympic medal winner Usain Bolt? This is exactly what builder Lürssen and designer Nuvolari Lenard did when putting the finishing touches on the interior of the 88 metre superyacht Quattroelle.

Light and airy, the Bolt-designed gym features mirrored walls on two sides, multiple television screens and equipment including treadmills, cycling machines and multi-trainers arranged in an aesthetically pleasing symmetrical layout.

When Rob Van Winkle’s career as a rapper began to stall, he found a previously undiscovered talent in interior decoration thanks to home renovation TV series The Vanilla Ice Project. The next logical step, of course, was to team up with Capitol Lighting on a range of high-end chandeliers and wall lamps for luxury residences which made their debut at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show back in 2012.