Emirates Man

As director of design at Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, Domagoj Dukec stands at the helm of one of the most revered luxury automobile brands in the world. For over a hundred years the company has put craftsmanship, bespoke artistry and discretion at the heart of every automobile that rolls out of its state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Goodwood, England. But Dukec journey to Goodwood was neither accidental nor impulsive. It was deliberate. Manifested, even. Born in Germany to Croatian parents, Dukec was, by his own admission, “this free atom. I could never imagine working in an office,” he says. Growing up he spent hours upon hours obsessively sketching. “As a boy, it was not just cars. I was drawing everything,” he admits. But in a country known for its love of exautomobiles it wasn’t long before a young Dukec was poring over car magazines, absorbing every curve and line of each new vehicle displayed in their pages. “At the age of 13, I found out that there was this profession – car design,” he recalls. “I went home and I said, ‘Mama, hey, I can earn money by drawing cars.’ And that was it.” That early conviction shaped a singular ambition: BMW. “I always thought it was my goal, to become the chief designer at BMW,” confesses Dukec.

For years worked strategically toward his goal, building experience in Barcelona and Paris before finally joining the German giant in 2010. And by 2017, he had achieved the childhood dream. However, once Dukec attained his long sought after dream he realised that it wasn’t actually the fulfillment of his deepest wish. This was because at BMW he oversaw up to 40 models at a time. He spent endless hours and energy returning time and again to the BMW board to get design confirmations, sometimes 80 times in a year. “What you always want to do as a designer is to really make everything you touch into something special, something timeless. But that is actually only possible in the ultra luxury space,” That realisation brought him to Rolls-Royce in 2024. “It was my own wish to join Rolls-Royce,” he says about his decision to leave his “dream job” at BMW. “Being so close to clients. Being able to focus much more on excellence, that’s heaven,” says Dukec with a laugh. At Rolls-Royce, excellence is not an abstract concept.

It is operationalised – through the brand’s bespoke division at its headquarters in Goodwood and through its global Private Offices, including the newly expanded Dubai outpost. “When clients come to Rolls-Royce, they want to become part of the history and the heritage of what this brand represents,” Dukec explains. “But it is nice that we are also able to incorporate the design dreams of the regional clients.” That balance between brand integrity and personal expression is the essence of the bespoke service at Rolls-Royce. “When they come to us, clients want an extension of their own personality through the codes of the brand,” says Dukec. He likens it to a Hermès Kelly bag. “It’s clearly a Kelly bag. They don’t want to change the bag. But they want it to become a one-off version for them.” The UAE is one of the most active bespoke markets globally and the appetite for individuality is insatiable in the region. At the Dubai office alone the brand sees on average about 300 commissions per year. And clients have learned that having patience is part of the process of owning a Rolls- Royce.

For example just the choice to go with a two-tone paintwork option can triple production time. “The paint shop takes three times the amount of time to do a twotone versus a single tone,” confirms Dukec. To cater to the growing demand of custom commissions and coachbuild cars, Rolls-Royce announced at the start of last year an investment of over $376 million dollars to extend its manufacturing facility at Goodwood. It was the largest investment since the headquarters opened in 2003 and a direct reflection of 2024’s banner year (the third-best sales result in the company’s century-long history). “But not to do more volume,” explains Dukec, “just to be able to have a bigger kitchen to work in.” The analogy is apt. Rolls-Royce does not serve from a fixed menu. “When you have a wedding and you book a restaurant for a certain amount of people it’s not possible to create a dinner à la carte. We are offering à la carte,” Dukec says, elaborating on the analogy. At Rolls-Royce, he feels completely creatively aligned.“It’s the best job – from my perspective – on that planet,” he says with a smile. It’s the smile of a man who has achieved a childhood dream, redefined it, and found something deeper.

Having recently celebrated his 50th birthday Dukec is no longer chasing ambition. He sees his work at Rolls-Royce with the perspective of someone looking to craft a lasting legacy. “At 50 you can’t help but think ‘what do you give back? How do you use your talent? How do you use your time?’” he reflects. Dukec is clear-eyed about the shifting landscape of luxury. And he is mindful of how the luxury segment is changing with the advent of electric cars, global digitalisation and the generational shift that is on the horizon. “Before it was higher, faster, bigger. Now it’s more about guilt-free consumption,” he says. Noting that a company like Rolls-Royce, even after a hundred years, can’t just coast on its heritage and past successes. “You can’t be like Kodak, who said, ‘We will never do digital photography.’ Then you die,” affirms Dukec about the critical need to always be innovative. But his ambitions for the brand look to be about finding balance. Balance between heritage and innovation. He wants to show with each bespoke car that glides down the highways and byways of the world that true luxury is not louder, faster or bigger. It is disciplined, deliberate and built to endure.

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