MILAN – After consolidating its home business and revealing the opening of its first branded hotel in the Swiss Alps, Elie Saab is bringing the world of its home division to the sea with the launch of its inaugural yacht project.
The brand has collaborated with Maiora, a historic Italian shipyard founded in the ‘70s and controlled by Next Yacht Group. On Thursday the two parties unveiled the project for the 42 Exuma yacht in Viareggio, a Tuscan resort destination that is a 20-minute drive from Forte dei Marmi.
“Our collaboration with Maiora marks a strategic expansion of the Elie Saab lifestyle into the world of yachting. Following our success in interiors, home decor, hospitality and branded real estate, this evolution was both natural and intentional,” said Elie Saab Jr., chief executive officer of the group.
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Developed under the creative direction of Carlo Colombo and his architectural studio A++ Group, the interiors of the 42-meter yacht will feature a selection of pieces from the Elie Saab Maison collection as well as elements designed specifically for the yachting environment.
The blend of high-end materials such as Fumo di Londra and Mystic Ocean marbles, light bronzed mirrors and teak wood flooring and ceilings will deliver both a polished design in sync with the Lebanese brand’s aesthetic and onboard functionality. In every element crafted in Italy, special attention has been given to the research and development of high-resistance fabrics and finishes, ensuring interiors that could be tailored to the demands of life at sea.
“The 42 Exuma is not just a yacht, it is a bold expression of our vision: to craft immersive, elegant spaces where design, precision and comfort converge,” said Saab, adding that the move aims to translate “our legacy of craftsmanship and refined aesthetics into a frontier of contemporary luxury.”
The yacht will span four decks, including an 861-square-foot private sun deck, and comes with a reimagined onboard layout. Guest suites, traditionally placed below deck, will be relocated to the main deck, alongside the full-beam owner’s suite, delivering airy, light-filled spaces with sea views and direct access to outdoor areas.
Hence the upper deck is imagined as a fully openable, panoramic living area, blurring the boundaries between inside and out, while the lower deck will provide the crew with spacious cabins, separate service routes and dedicated facilities for heightened operational efficiency.
As for the exterior design of the yacht, this has been conceived by award-winning firm Cassetta Yacht Designers to evoke fluidity and channel the same sense of lightness and openness via glass surfaces and a dynamic silhouette.
“Maiora 42 Exuma had an almost instinctive and very rapid start: from the first meeting with the Maiora team, the vision of this high-performance gentleman’s yacht took shape in a quick sketch. It was a challenge to create a balance between lightness, interior volume, and generous heights while maintaining a modern and refined look,” said the namesake design firm’s leader Giorgio Cassetta, underscoring that the most significant innovation by the shipyard was in the reimagined layout.
Next Yacht Group’s CEO Sebastiano Fanizza echoed that the concept inaugurates “a new era of living at sea — surpassing outdated conventions to embrace a yachting idea that finally puts people, not old logics, at the heart of the project.”
“We chose to break with conventional approaches, redefining the balance between aesthetics, function and onboard well-being to restore centrality to experience and quality of life,” Fanizza said.
The first 42 Exuma yacht has already been sold. Its construction is underway, with its delivery scheduled for summer 2027.
Elie Saab Maison was launched in 2019 as the Lebanese brand’s extension into home, furniture collections and exclusive interiors for global real-estate ventures. The launch further broadened the fashion company’s scope, which encompasses ready-to-wear, couture, bridal, accessories, eyewear, childrenswear, watches and fragrances.
