Rubelli joined forces with Luke Edward Hall to clothe Belmond’s Britannic Explorer interiors in fabrics
How Rubelli and Luke Edward Hall Transformed Moving Cabins into Woven Landscapes
When a 160-year-old Venetian textile house sits down with a contemporary British artist to reimagine the interior of a luxury sleeper train, the result is less about transportation and more about stepping into a moving artwork.
The Britannic Explorer—Britain’s answer to the romance of rail travel—has found its visual language through an unlikely partnership. Rubelli, whose looms have dressed Venetian palazzos since 1858, joined forces with Luke Edward Hall, an artist known for his playful classical references, to clothe the train’s interiors in fabrics that tell specifically British stories.
Hall’s process began with pencil and paper—hand-drawn designs that Rubelli’s artisans translated into woven textiles. One suite features his “Diamond Stripe” pattern, reimagined in a bold red that would feel at home in either a stately library or a punk rock album cover. Other cabins are wrapped in custom fabrics depicting the journey itself: Welsh dragons, Somerset bridges, Hampshire castles, and seagulls wheeling over coastal scenes. The walls function almost as illustrated maps, though rendered in jacquard weave rather than ink.
Britannic Explorer, a Belmond Train, UK
The Britannic Explorer launched in July 2025 as Britain’s first luxury sleeper train serving England and Wales, operating three-night journeys from London to Cornwall, the Lake District, and Wales. The train features 18 cabins, including three Grand Suites with double beds, personal butler service, and ensuite bathrooms. The interiors, designed by London-based studio Albion Nord, use natural materials like wood, stone, and wool to connect passengers to the landscapes passing outside their windows.
Rubelli previously outfitted suites on the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express, suggesting they’ve found a niche in this peculiar corner of hospitality—spaces that move through landscapes while containing carefully crafted worlds of their own.
About Luke Edward Hall
The London-based artist and designer works across furniture, ceramics, and textiles, drawing heavily on classical mythology and historical references. His aesthetic—colorful line drawings mixed with ancient motifs—has found its way into various commercial collaborations, though critical reception of his work tends to divide between those who find it charmingly eclectic and those who consider it overly decorative. The Britannic Explorer project represents his continued partnership with Rubelli, following their earlier “Return to Arcadia” collection.
