Tanu Vasu:  Art & History Combine for Next Chapter of Queen Mary 2

ByJudi Cuervo

Appearances can be deceiving.

Take designer and creative director Tanu Vasu, for example.  This stunningly attractive young woman looks like she should be sashaying down a fashion runway, not artistically reimagining the next chapter of Queen Mary 2.

And doing so with a deep respect and passion for Cunard’s rich legacy and timeless elegance.

Tanu Vasu. Photo: Cunard
Tanu Vasu. Photo: Cunard

I met Tanu last night at the Waldorf Astoria, the historic New York City hotel which served as a fitting backdrop for “The Design of an Icon,” Cunard’s celebration of the enhancements planned for Queen Mary 2 during her six-week drydock in March 2027.

Cunard isn’t the first luxury brand that has benefited from the talents of this Australian-born artist and visionary who now resides in New York—and exudes an unapologetic enthusiasm for the city.  Legendary powerhouses like Bergdorf Goodman, LVMH, Tiffany, and The Plaza Hotel, have called upon her to create a wide-ranging collection of artistic projects that visually capture their essence and, yes, their history.

Surprisingly, Tanu’s first introduction to Cunard did not take place in a boardroom as the next chapter of Queen Mary 2 was being planned. 

“As a child in Sydney, my parents would take me down to Circular Quay to see the Cunard ships coming into port,” she revealed.  “What a cyclical moment for me to now be part of this incredible team!”

Answers Lie in the Past

Equally as passionate about history as art, Tanu’s first mission was to completely understand and grasp the line’s heritage. 

Lee Powell, Cunard Vice President/Brand Manager, explains “As always, the first project is to send our designers to the University of Liverpool to explore the Cunard archives and absorb the stories, the images and the promotional materials of the original Queen Mary. 

  • The first-class restaurant aboard the original Queen Mary, showcasing the liner’s Art Deco dining interiors. Image: Cunard
    The first-class restaurant aboard the original Queen Mary, showcasing the liner’s Art Deco dining interiors. Image: Cunard
  • An artist’s impression of the restaurant aboard the original Queen Mary, showing Philip Connard’s mural and bronze doors by Walter and Donald Gilbert. Image: Cunard
    An artist’s impression of the restaurant aboard the original Queen Mary, showing Philip Connard’s mural and bronze doors by Walter and Donald Gilbert. Image: Cunard
  • Leslie MacDonald Gill’s decorative Atlantic map from the original Queen Mary’s first-class dining room. Image: Cunard
    Leslie MacDonald Gill’s decorative Atlantic map from the original Queen Mary’s first-class dining room. Image: Cunard
  • Decorative bird panels by A. Duncan Carse from the original Queen Mary’s restaurant. Image: Cunard
    Decorative bird panels by A. Duncan Carse from the original Queen Mary’s restaurant. Image: Cunard
  • The first-class restaurant aboard the original Queen Mary, with Leslie MacDonald Gill’s Atlantic map visible in the background. Image: Cunard
    The first-class restaurant aboard the original Queen Mary, with Leslie MacDonald Gill’s Atlantic map visible in the background. Image: Cunard

Queen Mary 2 was named after Queen Mary, the original Cunard Grand Dame, and we want designers to look back to what she offered guests back in 1936 and her very first crossing. 

“As I always say, the answers to the future lie in the past.”

To capture that balance between future and past, Cunard has arrived at a design concept which they’ve labeled “Cunard Deco.”  Inspired by the art deco designs that we’ve seen across the Cunard fleet of the past, Tanu states that Cunard Deco isn’t about reinventing Queen Mary 2. 

“It’s about carefully evolving her while preserving the character and details that have made her so beloved,” she adds.  “You’ll see bold colors and strong geometric patterns but, most importantly, you’ll see storytelling, a celebration of the Atlantic crossing and the pedigree that Cunard has in that space.”

  • Tanu Vasu’s illustration of Queen Mary 2 sailing past the Statue of Liberty and New York City. Image: Cunard/Tanu Vasu
    Tanu Vasu’s illustration of Queen Mary 2 sailing past the Statue of Liberty and New York City. Image: Cunard/Tanu Vasu
  • Tanu Vasu’s illustration of the reimagined living space in a duplex Q1 Queens Grill Suite aboard Queen Mary 2. Image: Cunard/Tanu Vasu
    Tanu Vasu’s illustration of the reimagined living space in a duplex Q1 Queens Grill Suite aboard Queen Mary 2. Image: Cunard/Tanu Vasu
  • Tanu Vasu’s illustration of a redesigned Grill Suite bedroom aboard Queen Mary 2. Image: Cunard/Tanu Vasu
    Tanu Vasu’s illustration of a redesigned Grill Suite bedroom aboard Queen Mary 2. Image: Cunard/Tanu Vasu
  • Tanu Vasu’s illustration of a reimagined lounge aboard Queen Mary 2. Image: Cunard/Tanu Vasu
    Tanu Vasu’s illustration of a reimagined lounge aboard Queen Mary 2. Image: Cunard/Tanu Vasu
  • Tanu Vasu’s illustration of Queen Mary 2’s Grand Lobby. Image: Cunard/Tanu Vasu
    Tanu Vasu’s illustration of Queen Mary 2’s Grand Lobby. Image: Cunard/Tanu Vasu
  • An artist’s impression of the restaurant aboard the original Queen Mary, showing Philip Connard’s mural and bronze doors by Walter and Donald Gilbert. Image: Cunard
    An artist’s impression of the restaurant aboard the original Queen Mary, showing Philip Connard’s mural and bronze doors by Walter and Donald Gilbert. Image: Cunard

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Jud is a New York City native who fell in love with cruising in 1976 during her first sailing aboard Carnival Cruises’ Mardi Gras. Twenty years later, Judi began her cruise writing and, since then, has covered mass market, ultra-premium, riverboat and expedition ships for regional, national and international publications as well as cruise websites.

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