Design / Technology
June, 2025

A JOURNEY OF DISCOVERY EXPLORING COLOR, MATERIAL, FINISH AND BEYOND
Lexus designers break boundaries to elevate the luxury experience by crafting emotional sensorial experiences with the thoughtful use of color, material and finish.

CMF ORIGINS – Curation of Materials and Space

What one considers a beautiful design remains subjective to the eye. Personal preferences find themselves tugging with or against social trends in taste that help dictate the styling and design directions accepted by the masses. At Lexus, designers are looking to push the boundaries of luxury by eschewing tradition, especially in the realm of Color, Material and Finish design (CMF). This movement by Lexus designers is a shift from the brand’s CMF design found in products at the luxury brand’s inception. When the Lexus brand was introduced in 1989, the CMF of the LS400 was simple, elegant and modern for its time, with a focus on setting a new standard in luxury comfort and refinement. In the beginning, Lexus emphasized the creation of a premium comfort feeling denoted by soft, supple surfaces and softer tones that help to differentiate the then-upstart Japanese luxury brand from other European marques. As such, the Lexus passenger cabin captured a more culturally Japanese way of expressing luxury: blending comfort, soft, rich materials, and high levels of interior quietness distilled into Lexus’ view of luxury.

Back then, it was the role of the CMF designer to not only create a curation of surface materials for the interior of the car, but more importantly to develop a paint color that accentuates the right expression of the exterior. However, as time went on, customer proclivities began elevating the value on the interior space, with more time being spent in the car, resulting in more body contact with materials in the car. Driven by that shift in consumer focus and coupled with technological advances in both the materials manufacturing process and design, CMF designers were able to offer more creative solutions and expressions of the luxury vehicle interior. What was once limiting to just a few different fabric choices suddenly became a vast range of textures and colors enabling the thoughtful curation of an interior space and environment that matched the customers’ needs and ultimately hopes to create a mood or feeling by connecting to the senses.

TIME – A Journey of Artful Discovery for You

Always designing for new discovery that adds value to the customer, CMF designers translate lifestyle and emotion into every tactile and visual detail that enhances the senses. But first, understanding the customer is essential.

“As Lexus CMF designers, we balance logical analysis with emotional intuition,” says CALTY Chief Designer, Sellene Lee. “On the one hand we study our customers’ lifestyles—how they use their vehicles, what surrounds them, and what matters in their daily lives. On the other hand, we use our creative sensibility as designers and trend researchers to envision experiences that go beyond their expectations.”

CMF Designers are not only beholden to reflect customers’ taste, but also to inspire them, to offer a space that truly elevates their lifestyle and feels deeply personal and uniquely Lexus. Rather than simply swapping materials and selecting colors, they focus on creating meaningful value like discovering new sustainable materials that offer a tangible benefit. These colors, materials and finishes must offer aesthetics, authenticity and an emotionally relevant connection to the material’s story. The evolution of the CMF role revealed a new value for Lexus; that of creating an engaging and recovery sanctuary for drivers and occupants.

SUSTAINABLE BY DESIGN

Lexus is turning its vision of sustainable mobility into a tangible reality through the use of electric energy, environmentally conscious manufacturing, and responsibly sourced materials. Since 2008, bamboo has played a key role in Lexus concept cars and has since evolved into a signature element in production models reflecting the brand’s ongoing commitment to reducing environmental impact. Today, Lexus' CMF (Color, Material, Finish) designers are pushing boundaries by transforming bamboo into a range of advanced materials including alternative leather, carbon, composites, carpets, paints, and textiles. This forward-thinking use of bamboo highlights Lexus' dedication to innovative design and the circular use of natural resources.

“We don’t want to fall into the trappings of greenwashing,” says Momoko Okamoto, Group Manager at Lexus Color and Sensorial Design (CSD). “Our goal is to create materials that make an immediate and intuitive impression—something that transcends time and feels luxurious, responsible and uniquely Lexus.”

The value of “Time” is important to Lexus and to the over-arching design theme: Lexus respects the past and this legacy, committed to sustain Japanese tradition and heritage, not only to offer beautifully designed objects but also valuation of time, experience and innovative hospitality.

“We care not only about the current ‘now’ but also the future of our lives,” says Okomoto.

NEW ERA of POSSIBILITIES

Pushing Sensorial Boundaries to Discover New Experiences

Lexus continually challenges the conventions of automotive luxury, striving to expand the horizons in both products and services to create unique, expectation-surpassing experiences for each customer.

AI and fast-evolving technological advancements are opening exciting new possibilities for CMF design. The interior now becomes a spatial experience that engages the senses, bringing customers into a new world of Lexus focused on affecting occupant mood. The multi-sensory modes in the all-new Lexus ES offers a “Sensory Concierge,” (feature available only in the China market ) that performs harmoniously to offer sound, fragrance, air, multimedia screen clips, seat heater and dynamic illumination.

With AI and algorithmic technology seamlessly woven into everyday lives, expectations have evolved. Today, every product must intuitively resonate with customers’ personal rhythms. Materials must be able to dynamically adapt—creating a holistic sensory ecosystem that elevates our individualized experiences.

Lexus debuts Bamboo Layering combined with synthetic leather and Thematic Ambient Illumination to elevate the multisensory experience of sight, touch, and scent.

Lexus highlights a sustainable future with the LF-ZL concept car that tailors the driving experience to each driver with a bamboo-detailed cabin.

The next-generation Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) concept car LF-ZC showcases Lexus’ unique approach to sustainability, blending circular design, and sensorial materials.

"Our designers are exploring what this means and are creatively discovering different ways to offer the optimal state of sensorial design that can engage our customers better, perhaps the next gen integration of mobility UX/UI + AI power will lead to a next-level revolution of personalization.

This can be done through a more seamless, predictive human-machine interface while fully engaging the five senses that will foster a nirvana of personal immersion."

Sellene Lee
CALTY Chief Designer