It’s not just Lewis Hamilton who scores points as a fashion expert. With trendy labels, motorsport is reaching a new audience – and at the same time finding its way into everyday fashion.
Travels with own stylist and photographer: Lewis Hamilton.
Qian Jun / Mb Media / Getty Images Europe
Sometimes he comes in a kilt, sometimes in a one-piece suit with tiger stripes, sometimes with harem pants decorated with flowers. When it comes to the fashion factor, record world champion Lewis Hamilton, who stumbles with his Mercedes racing car, is still at the forefront.
That’s why crowds of paparazzi arrive very early on every race day in front of the paddock turnstile so as not to miss what the Brit is wearing. In a world that has long been characterized by practical overalls and mostly bourgeois team uniforms, Hamilton has always stood out. Even before the Miami Grand Prix on Sunday, he more than lives up to his role as a trendsetter, starting off wearing an embroidered tank top paired with elegant gray wool trousers.
All haute couture pieces from Gucci’s upcoming fall collection, the pit lane becomes a catwalk. Because Hamilton is no longer alone when it comes to a strong sense of style. Especially not at the race in Miami, a designated party Grand Prix.
Ferrari presents its first fashion collection
In the first large garage behind the Hard Rock Stadium, which has been converted into a paddock, there is a bar directly on the slopes; six-figure dollar amounts are charged for access. Hip clothing is mandatory, as are the booming bass. The VIPs are scrambling for the tickets; since the Netflix hit series “Drive to Survive”, Formula 1 has become very fashionable across all age and demographic groups and especially among women. When Tom Brady or Brad Pitt are invited as guests, those who can afford access wonder what they should wear. Either to stand out or at least not to stand out in all the glamour.
Lewis Hamilton arrives with his own stylist and photographer and a variety of suitcases. His sometimes daring outfits are intended to send a message to ensure more openness in the racing circle. He is often a guest at fashion weeks in Paris, Milan and New York, and he has already been able to design his own collection for Tommy Hilfiger. At the famous Met Gala, he paid for a table for disadvantaged young designers out of his own pocket. He is currently gracing the cover of “Gentlemen’s Quarterly” magazine. There he talks about how he likes to commute between worlds; the racing world is sometimes as narrow as a snow globe.
The premier class of motorsport also makes it into the current fashion bible “Vogue”, where the racing drivers Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz, who have so far only attracted attention through the design of their helmets, pose in stylish clothes. At least one accessory is red, after all, this is Ferrari’s first real fashion collection. «Formula 1 no longer just means sport, but also lifestyle. We are experiencing a significant change, definitely a positive one,” says temporary model Sainz. Ferrari’s creative director Rocco Iannone reinforces this: “Formula 1 races are the new red carpet.” At the Miami International Autodrome, however, it is bright green, like a pop-up store.
The Spaniard is one of those pilots in whose private life fashion plays a decisive role – brought in by the women of the house. Sainz is dating the popular Scottish model Rebecca Donaldson. Leclerc’s girlfriend Charlotte Siné is also from the industry, as is world champion Max Verstappen’s partner Kelly Piquet. The situation is no different for Pierre Gasly, Lando Norris, Esteban Ocon or the Mercedes replacement driver Mick Schumacher. The race weekend fashion show can be found regularly on the models’ relevant Instagram accounts, where a collective account called WagsF1 captures all the influencer glory. There is also a separate page about Hamilton’s wardrobe.
Given the enormous sums involved, luxury has always been an issue in the premier class; dazzling personalities and attractive venues have reinforced the image. The renowned magazine “Harper’s Bazaar” analyzes this week that the fashion industry is currently in Formula 1 fever. A few decades ago, supermodels like Naomi Campbell, Heidi Klum and Eva Herzigova were regular guests, but this was more due to the playboy and team boss Flavio Briatore. At the same time, a short-term, rather sleazy hype about alleged pit sluts arose, staged by the tabloids. “Today, however, we are bringing Formula 1 closer to an audience that hasn’t followed us before,” says series boss Stefano Domenicali with satisfaction.
The increasing number of women in the racing business is doing the rest, Formula 1 is running its own academy to finally bring a female driver into the top league. Of course, this isn’t selfless either, it’s about the same target group that streaming services and the fashion industry have already discovered and retained. In Miami, American top model Kendall Jenner stood demonstratively at the command post of the F1 Academy women’s series. The impact is likely to be enormous with 249 million followers on social networks.
Louis Vuitton launches racing jackets
Suddenly interpretations of Formula 1 motifs (“Fast is not enough”) can also be found in teenage fashion from the H&M fashion chain. The trade magazine “Instyle” appropriately announces that the so-called racing look is “the” fashion trend of 2024. Pantsuits tailored like the fireproof overalls, windbreakers in bright color combinations and with large starting numbers, the black and white checks of the checkered flag as popular applications at many big labels.
Louis Vuitton not only designed a travel case for the winner’s trophy at the Monaco Grand Prix, but also launched psychedelic racing jackets made of patchwork leather. Influencer marketing with Formula 1 alone is said to have brought in over six million dollars for the luxury group. It’s no wonder that the German fashion company Boss has returned to motorsport. The global corporation Adidas is also interested in buying an entire team and using it to advertise its lifestyle products. Athleisure fashion taken to the extreme.
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