Silk sails ahead

There is something irresistibly seductive about a beautifully crafted boat. The shimmer of varnished mahogany, the gleam of highly polished, flash chromed, hand-cast steel, the sheer tactility of exquisite materials coming together to create not just a vessel but a statement. J Craft, the Swedish boatmaker revered for its hand-built Torpedo motor yachts — floating tributes to la dolce vita — understands this better than most. With their sinuous lines and meticulous detailing, these are boats designed not just to move through water but to turn heads in Monaco, Portofino and St Barths.

But what of the interiors? While J Craft’s craftsmanship has always extended to the finest leathers and materials, its latest collaboration marks a decisive moment in elevating the onboard experience to one of true artisanal opulence. Enter Fortuny, the storied Venetian textile house whose impossibly intricate fabrics have draped the grandest interiors for more than a century. Introduced by interior designer Sarah Magness of Studio Magness, this partnership is more than a meeting of two heritage brands — it is a study in the enduring power of craftsmanship, of handwork that transcends time, trends and even terrain.

For Magness, a designer known for her reverence for history and deep understanding of materials, bringing Fortuny into the world of high-end yacht design was a natural extension of both brands' shared ethos.

‘J Craft is rooted in the artistry of boat building; Fortuny in the artistry of textile making,’ she explains. ‘Both require patience, precision and an obsessive dedication to craft. The two coming together was inevitable.’

This collaboration, which sees Fortuny’s signature fabrics reimagined for life at sea, is not just about aesthetics — it is about reviving a lost sensibility, one where true luxury is measured not by excess but by expertise. It also signals a broader shift: an embrace of slow luxury, where brands steeped in tradition continue to find relevance through reinvention.

The synergy between J Craft and Fortuny was immediately apparent to Magness. ‘I’ve known the owners of Fortuny for 18 years. Their respect for heritage and craftsmanship is unparalleled,’ she says. ‘I’ve used its fabrics extensively in my interiors and when I was introduced to Radenko Milakovic, J Craft’s owner, in Monaco, he posed a question: “How do we elevate J Craft in a way that is authentic, meaningful and rooted in craft?”’

J Craft’s legacy is one of meticulous handcraft, a philosophy that extends from the sculpted mahogany decking to the hand-cast, flash chromed steel elements, such as the impressive jackstaff base or the Torpedo shaped cleats. Each boat is a work of art in motion — a seamless fusion of vintage glamour and cutting-edge engineering. Yet, despite this exacting approach, there remained one element that had yet to be fully explored: textiles. ‘Fortuny felt like the missing piece,’ Magness notes. ‘Its Venetian atelier, still producing fabrics using the same secretive techniques pioneered over a century ago by Mariano Fortuny, is a testament to the kind of uncompromising artistry that defines true luxury.’

‘While the creations of Fortuny and J Craft could not be more diverse, both of our companies approach our artistry with a meticulous attention to detail and a tradition spanning several generations that honors centuries of craftsmanship and the value of the handmade,’ says Fortuny Creative Director Mickey Riad. ‘A life on the sea inspires and informs our craft with a harmonic balance with nature and a mutual respect for artisanship that takes ordinary materials — cotton, wood, and steel — and turns them into something extraordinary,’ he continues, ‘it is this alchemy that sets the standard that guides us and creates a special synergy when our crafts are joined together.’

This collaboration is the latest in a series of J Craft’s partnerships with the world’s finest material houses. Previously, the brand has worked with Hermès and Loro Piana, integrating their leathers and textiles into its interiors. Now, Fortuny joins this rarefied group, offering J Craft owners an opportunity to curate their onboard experience with fabrics unlike any other.

If Fortuny’s fabrics were once the preserve of Venetian palazzos and grand European residences, its latest application proves that its beauty is not confined to land. Each textile is imbued with a tactility, depth and richness, which speaks to a tradition of craftsmanship that has remained unchanged for more than a century.

The Fortuny Bespoke programme, which allows designers and private clients to collaborate directly with artisans in Venice, played a pivotal role in tailoring the fabrics to the marine environment. ‘Fortuny’s level of craftsmanship is orchestrated with the same precision as J Craft’s,’ explains Magness. ‘Both brands share an ethos of meticulous attention to detail, where every element — be it a hand-carved wooden hull or a hand-printed fabric — tells a story.’

The result is an interior that is as much about sensory indulgence as it is about design: exquisitely detailed, undeniably luxurious yet entirely functional for life at sea. Magness and her team worked to curate a palette and texture library that would reflect J Craft’s old-world glamour, incorporating custom Fortuny fabrics for upholstery, pillows and throws in the boat’s cabins and salons. ‘Every material decision had to balance beauty with durability,’ she notes. ‘The interiors are outfitted with Fortuny’s fabrics.’

This collaboration arrives at a moment when the definition of luxury is shifting. Where once excess and exclusivity reigned, today’s most discerning clientele seek something more profound: connection, craftsmanship and a sense of meaning. Magness, through her work with Palm Beach Atelier, is acutely aware of this shift. The collective, which brings together master artisans and patrons, seeks to preserve traditional decorative arts in a world increasingly dominated by digital consumption.

‘In an age of hyper-visibility, where everything is designed for Instagram, there’s a growing appetite for intimate, hands-on experiences,’ she observes. ‘This collaboration is about more than aesthetics — it’s about keeping the spirit of handcraft alive in a world that’s moving faster than ever.’

Palm Beach Atelier facilitates direct relationships between clients and makers, creating opportunities for patrons to visit ateliers around the world, witnessing first-hand the process behind the objects they commission. ‘There’s a renewed appreciation for things that are made slowly, thoughtfully and with care,’ Magness says. ‘And it’s those values: patience, precision, artistry — that Fortuny and J Craft both embody.’

For J Craft, this collaboration represents not only a design evolution but also a broader invitation to owners: an opportunity to fully customise their interiors, working with designers like Magness and selecting from the finest materials in the world. Through J Craft’s bespoke programme, clients can commission interiors that reflect their personal aesthetic, whether through custom Fortuny textiles, bespoke furniture pieces or rare material finishes.

The Amazon Queen, the latest J Craft model featuring Fortuny interiors, embarked on a three-week journey through the Baltic Sea earlier this July. Setting sail from Gotland to Sandhamn, Saltsjöbaden and Saint Tropez, it is a fittingly grand stage for a project that celebrates the intersection of tradition and innovation, of heritage and forward-thinking design.

At its heart, the J Craft x Fortuny collaboration is more than an exercise in aesthetics — it is a statement on the future of luxury itself. In a world where fast production dominates, and digital ephemera is easily discarded, true luxury endures. It is measured not by fleeting trends, but by the quiet confidence of craftsmanship, the patina of history and the enduring power of the handmade.

The Amazon Queen will be at Monaco Classic Week and Monaco Yacht Show 2025.

Cara Gibbs is the former style editor at Luxe Interiors + Design and a regular contributor to Architectural Digest, House Beautiful, Wallpaper* and Wall Street Journal Magazine