PARIS — Maximillion Cooper, a car fanatic and fashion designer, graduated from London’s Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design in 1993 with classmates such as Alexander McQueen and Stella McCartney. Since then, he’s been, well, driven to take his passion for racing to new frontiers.
“The fashion world had no clue about racing and the racing world had no clue about fashion,” said Cooper, 33. “I wanted to create the most fashionable rock ’n’ roll racing attitude.”
And how. In 1999, Cooper invited 50 friends, including Kate Moss, Billy Zane and Guy Ritchie, to take part in a 3,000-mile drive around Europe dubbed the Gumball 3000. The cult car rally has grown to cover three continents and has escalated into a $300 million lifestyle brand spawning fashion lines, a music label and film and publishing companies.
The rally — the latest session kicks off this weekend in London — features some of the world’s most luxurious wheels for the well-heeled, including Adrien Brody’s Porsche 911 turbo as well as some off-the-beaten-track numbers. Daryl Hannah, for example, drove a biodiesel pink camouflage Range Rover in last year’s race and made it across the finish line, thanks to a few friendly pushes along the way.
Drivers in this year’s event are to gather at London’s Trafalgar Hotel Saturday night for a screening of “Drivin’ Me Crazy,” a documentary produced and codirected by Cooper. The next day, motorists will roar off from Pall Mall for eight days. Jodi Kidd, Tony Hawk, Pink, Snoop Dogg and Lenny Kravitz are among those expected to join the rally along the way to cross the finish line at the Playboy mansion in Los Angeles May 7. As of Friday, it was unclear if Snoop would be on the course after he and some friends were arrested at London’s Heathrow Airport Wednesday night and charged with violent disorder after a fracas with police.
Racers will hit checkpoints, including Budapest; Belgrade, Yugoslavia; Phuket, Thailand; Bangkok, and Salt Lake City. Cars and their passengers will be airlifted between continents, while surprises, parties, exclusive concerts by Snoop Dogg and a stop in Las Vegas to see the premiere of “Mission: Impossible III,” will break up the journey. And to prove the Gumball’s broad span, CNN will provide live Gumball coverage every four hours.
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“The race gets bigger each year,” said Cooper, noting the 2006 version counts 120 cars, each splurging $40,000 for the entry fee. The entrepreneur also is producing a feature film based loosely on the Gumball with his partner, Brody. There is speculation that Cooper is courting Quentin Tarantino to direct.
After crossing the finish line, however, the fashion designer-cum-thrill-seeker will return to his fashion roots. This spring, he will be showing two new lines for men. Gumball 3000, an urban streetwear collection, is set to be unveiled at London’s Selfridges department store on the eve of the rally before hitting trendy boutiques around the world, such as Stüssy London and Bathing Ape.
Meanwhile, Cooper plans to present his first high-end fashion collection, G3K, on a New York runway this fall.