Leyla Hajrovic

Leyla Hajrovic walking away from her Bentley Continental GT.

A dream

Choosing well

A lifelong vision

“I appreciate quality over quantity. It doesn't matter if it's choosing a car, a shoe, a watch, a piece of jewellery, or artwork for my home. I’d rather focus on one good, meaningful piece than collecting stuff, just to collect.”

When you’re a person who cares deeply about craftsmanship, quality and individual expression through style, these values don’t apply to simply one aspect of your life. They guide everyday choices, shaped over time and driven by emotion as much as practicality: the watch they wear, the coffee shop they return to, the fabrics they choose to fill their wardrobe with.

And for Zurich-based Leyla Hajrovic, there was only one car that would fit her exacting standards: a Bentley Continental GT, the very model she had her sights on before she could even drive.

“Cars have a very special place in my heart, and I think that comes from my dad,” Leyla tells us as we meet on one drizzly morning in Zurich. “His passion became my passion. Often, we would go on the weekends or in the evenings to several car dealerships and look through different brands and models. I always loved Bentley, and it was always the Continental for me. It's sporty but still elegant, you have space. I always said, "One day I'm going to own a Continental.”

“Now, 16 years later, I have my own Bentley, and it's still my dream car. Bentley is not just a brand to me. It’s an extension of my personal style, of my lifestyle, of things that matter to me.”

Leyla Hajrovic's Bentley Continental GT driving.

Fascia as seen throught the window of Leyla Hadjrovic's Bentley Continental GT.

Spur Wellness Door Insert Landscape Teasers.jpg

Design

More than aesthetics

A bespoke approach

Deliberate choices

With a background in art and now a career in luxury fashion, aesthetics are a huge part of Leyla’s life. But as anyone who works in the luxury space knows, it’s not just about looks – its construction, performance, and longevity is just as important.

So it’s no surprise that Bentley had such a strong hold on Leyla, with its deliberate, enduring, and elegant style. “It represents something mighty and beautiful,” says Leyla. “We're living in such a crazy time where everything is changing so fast, but Bentley is constant. A Bentley is made to last a lifetime, and that's something I really appreciate.”

Leyla takes us to Quaglia, a family-owned store tucked away on one of Zurich’s historic cobbled streets, where international fashion labels sit alongside the store’s in-house atelier. It’s here she comes for custom pieces, working closely with the team to create something uniquely “her”.

“We can be a team of four or five people sitting around the piece and thinking, brainstorming: what could we add to make it that little extra special? It’s a beautiful process,” Leyla tells us as she thumbs through a book of fabrics.

“Quality is really important to me, and I always love a little touch of uniqueness. I love to have pieces that not everybody owns. It’s the same with cars, so I'm always very specific about details and certain specs. Something I’ve learned with age is that I’d rather buy less but better quality and keep pieces for a lifetime,” says Leyla.

Her choices are deliberate. Each one requires thought, attention to detail, a deep reflection of whether something is right for her and her lifestyle, and her signature style: “classic, chic, with a sporty twist”. She’s not afraid to wait for the right thing, either: “This is my super talent. I will always choose a thing that is unavailable or has a delivery time of four months.”

View through windscreen of Layla Hajrovic's Bentley Continental GT.

A contemporary car

Leyla in car form

Understated power

A space to think

We leave downtown Zurich for The Dolder Grand. One of Switzerland’s most opulent hotels for the last 126 years, it has an impressive art collection (which will please fans of Joan Miró and Sylvester Stallone alike), and an even more impressive outlook over Lake Zurich and the Alps.

Away from the city (and the kind of attention a car like this brings), the details of the Bentley start to really shine. In many ways, it feels like Leyla in car form.

There’s the magnetic exterior – a deep metallic grey that is a contemporary spin on the usual black or silver – and the interior, which is a calming and classic blend of linen hide seats, chrome finishes, and warm, natural Koa veneer.

Not forgetting all the little touches that put Bentley in a league of its own: diamond knurling on the end of the indicator, an analogue-style dashboard, and diamond quilted seats with the kind of precise stitching that can only be achieved by hand.

Of course, for Leyla, the Bentley Continental GT doesn’t just have her heart for how it looks, but for the balance it manages to strike: comfort and performance, power and restraint.

“This is a V8, which is perfect because it drives totally smoothly. Zurich can be quite busy, but the car gives me a smooth feeling, as if I’m gliding through the city. But also when you're on the highway, and you want some power, it really delivers. And it's not loud. It's understated.”

“I feel confident in this car. I feel safe. I have a theory that every car has a soul. You sometimes have cars you're not so lucky with, but then you have other cars like this one. They will always bring you safely from A to B. They have positive energy, and you just feel good in them. I really have this connection with this car.”

It’s so much more than a vehicle. This car is a place where creativity flows, helping Leyla in her business, and her mindset. “The second I step into my car, I close that door, I really relax. I get so creative, and I really can process a lot of things. It gives me confidence, it relaxes me, it calms me down.”

“I don't just love cars,” she adds. “I love watches. I love finance. I invest. And I love to think about new business ideas as well when I'm driving, or new investment cases, for example, or hop on a call with someone and talk about different ideas. I get a very specific kind of energy when I'm driving.”

Layla Hajrovic walking towards her Bentley Continental GT.

Reflections

Quiet but powerful

Challenging stereotypes

A sentimental connection

We leave the metropolis of Zurich behind for the countryside surrounding Lake Zug. The rain has eased, and we fully experience that smoothness and the quiet of the Continental GT. “What makes Bentley so special is the silence you have in the car. Even though we are on the highway, it's silent inside. I appreciate that a lot,” Leyla comments.

We pull up above the lake, where the grass is long, the air is pure, and the sounds of cars, construction and commuters are replaced by near silence. There are just a few cow bells as the backdrop to the growl – at once elegant, confident and powerful – of Leyla’s V8 engine.

“I love Zurich because you have the crazy chaotic city life sometimes, but you can escape so quickly to the countryside.”

The difference between driving in the city and the countryside? “Saving a lot of nerves,” she laughs. “I prefer the countryside or the highway, where I can drive a bit faster.”

Leyla reflects on her journey, from a teenager with a vision board to a woman in her thirties who loves to show that Bentley isn’t just for the older gent. “I love to break the stereotype, and I think Bentley offers so much to a younger audience. I love to be at traffic lights, and someone pulls up next to me, looks inside thinking there’s going to be a guy at the wheel, and then it's me,” Leyla says.

“That's a cool feeling, and it empowers me. I am a woman, and I love a cool car. I can be passionate about the different specs of a certain car. As women, we belong to the car world as well.”

And after those years of dreaming and manifesting, how did it finally feel to get her hands on the wheel of her very own Bentley Continental? “It felt sentimental because it's really my passion, and it connects me so deeply with my dad. I felt joy, a deep respect for the car, and a real sense of achievement. It was a milestone for me where I was just proud.”

Was it everything she expected? She smiles. “Oh, it’s even better. Once you drive it, it's its own world. And once you have this level of quality and craftsmanship, you really don't want to give it up.”