Negosentro | Sarah Larranaga Wins Robb Report Best of the Best 2026 for Paris Hilton’s SlivAir Private Jet Design | Discover how Sarah Larranaga earned Robb Report Best of the Best 2026 recognition for designing SlivAir, Paris Hilton’s custom Gulfstream G450 private jet.
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That intersection of creativity and technical execution is at the heart of the work of Sarah Larranaga, whose custom interior design for Paris Hilton’s Gulfstream G450, known as SlivAir, earned recognition in Robb Report’s 38th annual Best of the Best awards for 2026*.
The recognition places three names at the center of an important luxury aviation story: Sarah Larranaga, the designer and aviation project professional; Robb Report Best of the Best 2026, the prestigious editorial recognition; and SlivAir, the distinctive aircraft project that brought the design vision to life.
More than a visually striking celebrity aircraft, SlivAir demonstrates how a highly personal design concept can be translated into an aircraft interior that must also meet demanding aviation requirements.
For Sarah, the challenge was not simply to create a recognizable Paris Hilton aesthetic. It was to coordinate that vision with the materials, cabin systems, engineering processes, and specialist aviation partners required to deliver a customized Gulfstream G450.
What Is the Robb Report Best of the Best Award?
Robb Report’s Best of the Best is an annual recognition program celebrating notable achievements across the luxury sector. Its coverage spans categories that include design, travel, automobiles, watches, hospitality, and other expressions of high-end craftsmanship and innovation.
For its 38th annual edition in 2026, the publication recognized Sarah Larranaga’s work on SlivAir in its aviation coverage, associated with the Best in Wings recognition.
The distinction is significant because it connects a specific design achievement to an internationally recognized luxury publication. Rather than simply acknowledging an attractive aircraft, the feature brings attention to the creative and technical work behind a highly customized private jet.
For Sarah Larranaga, the recognition adds an important editorial milestone to a career built around private aircraft interiors, exterior design, engineering oversight, and project management.
It also provides a clear example of what distinguishes an award-winning private jet designer: the ability to translate an owner’s vision into a design that can be realized within the technical environment of aviation.
Why Sarah Larranaga’s SlivAir Design Was Recognized
SlivAir was conceived as a flying expression of Paris Hilton’s highly recognizable personal brand.
The Gulfstream G450 received a coordinated transformation that extended beyond the cabin. Its exterior and interior were developed around a distinctive pink design language, personalized details, and technology intended to support the passenger experience.
Sarah Larranaga led the design and development of the project, working with StandardAero on the aircraft refurbishment and with Cabin Management Solutions on the customized cabin management system.
The result demonstrates an important principle of bespoke aircraft interior design: personalization must be integrated into the aircraft as a complete environment.
A color palette cannot exist independently of its materials. A custom seat or cabin feature must work within the aircraft’s physical constraints. Lighting, entertainment, connectivity, and passenger controls must function as part of a coordinated technical system.
SlivAir brought these elements together through a consistent design direction that reflected Hilton’s personality while addressing the practical requirements of a working private aircraft.
Inside SlivAir: A New Expression of Private Jet Luxury
The SlivAir project is notable for its highly personalized details, many of which carry the aircraft’s visual identity throughout the passenger cabin.
Among its distinctive features are:
- Hand-painted pink cloud headliner – a signature visual element that gives the cabin a distinctive atmosphere.
- Paris Pink leather finishes – extending the owner’s preferred color identity into the cabin’s furnishings.
- Custom executive seating – incorporating personalized upholstery and detailing.
- Personalized “PH” details – including branded seatbelt buckles and other elements that reinforce the aircraft’s identity.
- Custom cabin lighting – with pink mood-lighting options that complement the interior palette.
- Personalized passenger amenities – including a beauty refrigerator and heart-shaped champagne flutes.
- Integrated entertainment and connectivity – including Starlink high-speed internet and a premium ALTO sound system.
The exterior received equal attention. The aircraft’s custom Paris Pink and Metallic White finish was executed through a multi-stage pearl paint process, complemented by branded entry airstairs.
Together, the exterior and interior establish a consistent visual experience, beginning before passengers board and continuing throughout the cabin.
The result is not simply an aircraft decorated in a recognizable color. It is a carefully coordinated personal environment in which finishes, furnishings, graphics, lighting, and technology contribute to one design identity.
The Engineering Behind the Luxury
One of the most important aspects of Sarah Larranaga’s work on SlivAir is the engineering coordination behind the visual transformation.
Aircraft interiors operate under requirements that differ considerably from residential or commercial interior design. Every material, component, installation, and system modification must be considered in relation to the aircraft’s airworthiness, weight limitations, safety standards, and approved configuration.
A material that looks exceptional in a luxury residence may not be suitable for an aircraft cabin. Upholstery, decorative finishes, adhesives, composites, and other components must be evaluated against applicable aviation requirements, including flammability performance and documentation.
Weight is another essential consideration. Custom furnishings and interior modifications must be assessed within the aircraft’s weight and balance limitations. Design decisions must also account for access, clearances, structural interfaces, and the aircraft’s existing systems.
This is where design engineering becomes central to the process.
Sarah’s role involves translating the creative concept into a technically achievable design, coordinating with the specialists responsible for fabrication, installation, systems integration, and compliance.
The objective is to preserve the owner’s desired experience without treating aviation requirements as an afterthought.
Certified Materials and Airworthiness
For a bespoke aircraft interior, material selection is both a design decision and a technical responsibility.
The visual character of SlivAir depends on its custom finishes, upholstery, decorative elements, and personalized cabin details. However, these selections must be compatible with the applicable certification and installation requirements.
This means evaluating materials for their intended aircraft application, ensuring appropriate supporting documentation, and coordinating with qualified engineering and completion teams.
The same principle applies to custom furnishings and decorative installations. Their appearance must be considered alongside weight, attachment, durability, maintenance, and compliance.
The ability to navigate these requirements is an important distinction between designing a luxury interior and designing a luxury aircraft interior.
Cabin Systems: Making the Experience Work
Modern private jet luxury increasingly depends on the integration of technology into the cabin.
In SlivAir, Cabin Management Solutions collaborated on a custom-built cabin management system with touchscreen controls. The system brings passenger-facing cabin functions into a coordinated digital interface.
The project also incorporates Starlink connectivity, an ALTO sound system, and customized lighting.
These features require more than selecting attractive hardware. They involve planning how controls, displays, wiring, electrical interfaces, entertainment components, and cabin features work together.
The digital interface must also feel consistent with the aircraft’s design language.
According to Cabin Management Solutions, the SlivAir collaboration included custom graphics for its touch panels, with visual elements coordinated to match the cabin’s headliner, palette, and textures. The Explore moving map interface was also designed to reflect the aircraft’s identity.
This illustrates an often-overlooked dimension of luxury private jet interior design: technology should feel integrated rather than added on.
When the visual and technical elements are coordinated, the cabin becomes a more cohesive environment for its owner and passengers.
Engineering Coordination: Bringing the Vision to Completion
A complex aircraft customization project requires multiple disciplines to work together.
For SlivAir, Sarah Larranaga worked with StandardAero, which handled refurbishment work on key aircraft components, and Cabin Management Solutions, which contributed the customized cabin management system.
The collaboration brought together design development, aircraft refurbishment, cabin technology, interior detailing, and exterior finishing.
StandardAero’s published SlivAir project profile identifies Sarah Mespelt Larrañaga as the designer and project manager, describing the work as a collaboration to deliver a customized Gulfstream G450 that reflects Paris Hilton’s global brand and personality.
This kind of coordination is critical because aircraft customization does not happen in isolated stages. Design choices influence fabrication. Fabrication affects installation. Installation must be compatible with aircraft systems and approved technical requirements. Changes in one area can have consequences for the schedule, cost, and work of other specialists.
A designer overseeing the broader project must therefore understand not only what the finished aircraft should look like, but also how the work moves from concept to an acceptable, completed aircraft.
The SlivAir project demonstrates the importance of maintaining that connection between creative direction and technical execution.
Sarah Larranaga’s Experience in Private Aviation
The Robb Report Best of the Best recognition is one milestone within Sarah Larranaga’s broader professional work in private aviation.
Sarah Larranaga Aviation Design describes its services as encompassing aircraft interior and exterior design, design engineering, project management, outfitting, maintenance oversight, and acceptance and delivery.
The studio’s published profile cites 20 years of aviation experience and more than 115 aircraft delivered across Gulfstream, Bombardier, Dassault Falcon, Boeing, and Airbus platforms.
This breadth of experience is relevant in a field where every aircraft type brings its own configuration, engineering considerations, operational requirements, and opportunities for customization.
A designer working across different business aircraft must understand how cabin proportions, passenger circulation, furnishings, lighting, entertainment, and technical systems interact with the specific airframe.
That experience also informs the project management side of the work: coordinating vendors, reviewing technical details, managing completion schedules, and helping ensure that the finished aircraft reflects the original design intent.
For aircraft owners, the value of this integrated approach lies in having a design professional who can engage with both the creative and technical sides of a project.
What Makes an Award-Winning Private Jet Designer?
The search for the best private jet designer often begins with visual portfolios. But an aircraft’s appearance is only one measure of the work.
A successful private jet interior designer must bring together several capabilities:
1. A clear design identity
The ability to understand an owner’s personality, preferences, and intended passenger experience—and translate them into a coherent design concept.
2. Knowledge of aircraft platforms
An understanding of the specific airframe, cabin architecture, space limitations, and operational characteristics of the aircraft being customized.
3. Material and certification awareness
The ability to work with appropriate aviation materials and coordinate the documentation, testing, and approval processes required for their use.
4. Systems integration
An understanding of how cabin management, lighting, entertainment, connectivity, and electrical systems must function within the aircraft.
5. Engineering and project coordination
The ability to work effectively with completion centers, maintenance organizations, engineering specialists, suppliers, and installers.
6. Attention to delivery and long-term value
The ability to consider maintainability, operational requirements, workmanship, schedule, and the owner’s broader investment in the aircraft.
SlivAir offers a practical example of these capabilities working together. Its distinctive identity is immediately recognizable, but its realization depended on a much larger network of technical and operational decisions.
For Sarah Larranaga, the Robb Report recognition highlights that combination of creative vision and aviation-focused execution.
Frequently Asked Questions About Sarah Larranaga, Robb Report, and SlivAir
Who won the Robb Report Best of the Best 2026 recognition in aviation?
Sarah Larranaga was recognized in Robb Report’s 38th annual Best of the Best awards for her custom interior design work on Paris Hilton’s SlivAir Gulfstream G450.
Why did Sarah Larranaga receive Robb Report Best of the Best recognition?
The recognition was associated with her work designing and developing SlivAir, a highly personalized Gulfstream G450 that combines Paris Hilton’s distinctive visual identity with customized cabin interiors, technology, and coordinated aircraft refurbishment.
Who designed Paris Hilton’s SlivAir private jet?
Sarah Mespelt Larrañaga led the design and development of SlivAir. The Gulfstream G450 project involved collaboration with StandardAero and Cabin Management Solutions.
What aircraft is Paris Hilton’s SlivAir?
SlivAir is a customized Gulfstream G450 business jet. Its transformation included distinctive exterior paint, personalized cabin finishes, custom seating details, a customized cabin management system, and integrated passenger technology.
What makes Sarah Larranaga’s private jet designs different?
Sarah’s approach combines bespoke interior and exterior design with engineering coordination and aviation project management. Her work considers the owner’s personal vision alongside the aircraft’s material, system, weight, and airworthiness requirements.
What does a private jet interior designer do?
A private jet interior designer develops the cabin’s layout, finishes, furnishings, lighting, and overall visual identity. The work also requires coordination with aviation engineers, completion centers, and technical specialists to ensure the proposed design can be installed in accordance with applicable aircraft requirements.
How does private jet interior design balance luxury and aviation safety?
It begins with selecting materials and components suitable for aircraft applications, considering weight and installation constraints, and coordinating required engineering reviews and approvals. The design must satisfy applicable airworthiness requirements while delivering the intended passenger experience.
What is bespoke aircraft interior design?
Bespoke aircraft interior design is the creation of a customized cabin environment around an aircraft owner’s preferences, operational needs, and chosen design identity. It may include custom seating, cabinetry, finishes, lighting, entertainment, connectivity, and integrated cabin systems.
A Recognition That Connects Design Vision and Aviation Engineering
The story of Sarah Larranaga, Robb Report Best of the Best 2026, and SlivAir is ultimately a story about what modern luxury aviation design requires.
Paris Hilton’s Gulfstream G450 demonstrates how a private aircraft can become an expression of an owner’s identity. Its custom pink exterior, personalized cabin details, integrated technology, and distinctive passenger amenities create an experience that is immediately recognizable.
But behind that experience is the work of translating a creative vision into a technically achievable aircraft project.
Through design leadership and coordination with StandardAero and Cabin Management Solutions, Sarah Larranaga helped bring together the visual, material, engineering, and systems elements that define SlivAir.
The Robb Report recognition gives that achievement an important place in the luxury aviation conversation. It also reinforces a broader principle: exceptional private jet design is not simply about making an aircraft look extraordinary. It is about making the entire experience work—from the first design concept to the completed cabin.
For aircraft owners considering a bespoke interior, a comprehensive refurbishment, or a complete aircraft transformation, that combination of design vision and technical understanding is essential.
Explore Sarah Larranaga’s award-winning aircraft design work and discover the possibilities of bespoke private aviation.
Visit SarahLarranaga.com to explore completed projects, design and engineering services, and private aviation commissions.
Sarah Larranaga Aviation Design — Where distinctive aircraft design meets engineering precision.
Editorial source references:
- Sarah Larranaga’s award announcement: https://sarahlarranaga.com/briefings/sarah-larranaga-robb-report-best
- Robb Report award and press archive: https://sarahlarranaga.com/awards-press
- SlivAir Gulfstream G450 project: https://sarahlarranaga.com/gulfstream-g450-slivair-by-sarah-larranaga
- StandardAero’s SlivAir project profile: https://standardaero.com/airframe/refurbishments/slivairg450/
- Cabin Management Solutions’ SlivAir project profile: https://cmsaero.com/gallery/sliv-air-gulfstream-g450/
- Sarah Larranaga’s aircraft design engineering perspective: https://sarahlarranaga.com/briefings/aircraft-design-engineering
- Sarah Larranaga’s professional profile: https://sarahlarranaga.com/about
