.jpg?w=810&resize=810&ssl=1 "A dazzling look inside Baz Luhrmann and Catherine Martin’s whimsical British Pullman train carriage")
Baz Luhrmann is known for visual decadence, taking us into glamorous eras of 1900 Moulin Rouge and post-war excess onscreen. Now, you can enter into one of these opulent worlds for yourself.
The famous auteur known for The Great Gatsby and Romeo + Juliet, and his wife and creative collaborator, the four-time Oscar-winning costume and production designer Catherine Martin, have designed Celia, an all-new private dining and events carriage on board the British Pullman, that oozes a “dreamlike cinematic atmosphere”.
Inspired by Celia, the Australian director’s fictional muse, the carriage on a Belmond Train, is inspired by the British countryside, Shakespeare and Luhrmann’s characteristic extravagance. It features a cocktail bar, lounge, dining, and entertainment area, where up to 12 can enjoy (the carriage is exclusively reserved for group bookings).
The bar area features a tasselled purple velvet sofa and marquetry walls with images of flowers and fairies, made from different-coloured woods – a nod to London’s 1930s theatre scene and Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
An actress who was famous for starring in the West End during the 1920s, the pair’s fictional muse, Celia, was also a woman about town, staying out late with a host of famous names alongside her dazzling career. She was so alluring that someone secretly gifted her a Pullman train car.
The luxury carriage celebrates “exquisite British craftsmanship and artistry, utilising the expertise and vision of several hand-selected British artisans and long-term Belmond collaborators,” a statement read. These include marquetry artisans Dunn & Son, leading British bespoke furniture designer Bill Cleyndert, Tony Sandles Bespoke Glass studio, embroiders Hand and Lock, and J.K Interiors.
