F1's Fashion Love Affair
Louis Vuitton recently announced their partnership with Formula 1 to become a title partner at the Australian Grand Prix, ushering in a new era of fashion in F1. The partnership represents fashion's full embrace of motorsports, a representation of a long-standing commitment to the sport.
ASAP Rocky debuts his collaboration with Puma for the brand’s F1 brand campaign for the Las Vegas Grand Prix in 2023. Courtesy of Puma and made available via Business of Fashion. © All rights belong to their respective owners. No copyright infringement intended.
Following LMVH’s announcement for a 10-year global partnership with Formula 1 last year, Louis Vuitton joined Formula 1 as an official title partner for the 2025 Australian Grand Prix. The collaboration includes the famous Louis Vuitton Trophy Trunk awarded to race winners on the final podiums as well as trackside signage at F1 races, the fashion house’s first at a major sporting event as it expands its outreach into foreign waters.
Formula 1 has always gone hand in hand with a luxurious aesthetic. With its most famous Grand Prix taking place in Monaco, a haven for the world’s elite as they flock from high-end yachts to gilded casinos, it's a sport designed for the wealthy. Lately, the sport has seen a growth in viewership, particularly amongst a younger, female fan base. In 2022, F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali announced that women made up 40% of F1 fans, and an F1 Global Survey revealed that Gen Z and millennials accounted for 60% of F1’s fan base in the US. Luxury brands steeped in tradition like Rolex and Moët & Chandon have long invested in F1, but with Louis Vuitton inserting themselves within the track dynamics, the brand joins fellow fashion houses who have been taking advantage of the new growth in interest in the sport.
Tommy Hilfiger was one of the first to jump into the foray. As a lifelong F1 fan, Hilfiger jumped at the opportunity to sponsor Team Lotus in 1991, one of the most successful racing teams in the world at the time. Hilfiger’s brand made the racers’ uniforms while Lotus cars were outfitted with the iconic Hilfiger flag. In 1998, he secured a deal with Ferrari as its clothing sponsor for all the team’s kits, going on to design fan collections and custom clothing for Ferrari Challenge Series A. His love for the sport began to inspire his collections as he delved into motorsport style in capsules and special releases, which culminated in a partnership with Mercedes in 2018. The partnership has been lucrative, producing collections for both men and women as well as special capsules with Clarence Ruth and Awake NY.
Tommy Hilfiger’s partnership with Team Lotus lasted from 1991 to 1994, featuring Hilfiger’s logo emblazoned on the cars and the drivers’ racing uniforms. Courtesy of Tommy Hilfiger and made available via Hypebeast. © All rights belong to their respective owners. No copyright infringement intended.
Tommy Hilfiger’s success is also, in part, owed to Lewis Hamilton. Aside from holding a joint-record seven Formula One World Drivers' Championship titles, the celebrated driver is considered to be the pioneer that led F1’s growth of influence in the fashion industry. Hamilton has slowly built upon his brand as F1’s most stylish driver since his first appearance on the track.
Hamilton signed onto his first fashion partnership as a global ambassador for Tommy Hilfiger in 2018, and although he wasn’t a stranger to designer-wear at the time, his style significantly transformed as he shifted from young novice to experienced champion. With Hilfiger, Hamilton has done five collections for the brand alongside a team of designers, combining the sleek motorsport aesthetic with cutting-edge style distinct to the Hilfiger brand. The partnership was a breakthrough for fashion's expansion into Formula 1 as more brands began to follow in Hilfiger’s footsteps, such as Aston Martin’s collaboration with Hugo Boss and McLaren’s with Reiss. Yet, it's Ferrari’s headway that has had the most success.
Ferrari is notable for its sleek, red sports car and the sophisticated elegance of its drivers. Its Formula 1 team, Scuderia Ferrari, has a past that dates back to 1929 and is the most successful team in the series’ history. The brand just exudes luxury. It was only a matter of time before they dipped their toe into the waters of the fashion industry, and what better way to do it than with a debut collection held at Ferrari’s headquarters in Maranello, Italy? While the 2021 debut might have been met with mixed reactions from fashion insiders and Formula 1 fans alike, there’s no doubt that Ferrari knows how to create a collection. The runway was an amalgam of motorsport core that drew from elements of the Ferrari itself, with seatbelts turned belts and vintage moto jackets transformed into nylon shirts and dresses.
Models walk down the runway for Ferrari’s fashion debut in 2021 at the Ferarri Headquarters in Maranello, Italy. The runway was situated on the factory’s floor between unfinished Ferrari cars on what would normally be the assembly line. Photos by Giovanni Giannoni and made available via WWD. © All rights belong to their respective owners. No copyright infringement intended.
It was ambitious. It was bold. But it had the desired effect.
Ferrari had taken what Mercedes had done without the need for an intermediary, reinventing itself as a designer label while keeping its reputation as the premier automotive company to remain at the forefront of Italian luxury. The following year, Ferrari made its Milan Fashion Week debut, and it's been a staple ever since. The brand’s approach is edgy with a youthful touch thanks to creative director Rocco Iannone, drawing upon elements of the brand’s rich history and the romanticism of the iconic Rosso Corsa red. With the latest addition of Hamilton to the driving team, Ferrari has set itself up for continuous success in the fashion industry.
Hamilton’s recent sponsorships include a long-awaited partnership with Christian Dior and a new brand ambassadorship with Lululemon, not to mention his appointment as a co-chair at the 2025 Met Gala. Now, as a Ferrari driver, he joins a team dedicated to placing their drivers at the forefront of their fashion campaigns in a unique intersection between the sport and luxury style. His debut in the red racing suit is highly anticipated, not only for his potential to uplift the brand’s fashion aspirations, but for the excitement of Ferrari possibly winning its first driving championship since 2007.
Popular culture has quickly picked up on shift as celebrities like ASAP Rocky, Lupita Nyong’o, and Simone Ashley have taken on various partnerships involving F1 fashion collaborations. Streetwear has borne the brunt of the influence, with brands like Puma and Takashi Murakami offering limited pieces in a variety of moto inspired apparel. The 2023 Las Vegas Grand Prix saw the wide release of one of ASAP Rocky’s first collections for Puma as the brand’s new creative director. Graphic hoodies, jackets, tees, and other apparel were designed in a new style that seamlessly blended streetwear and race gear. Brands that seemed unlikely to mesh with F1 began dropping collections, such as Malbon Golf’s capsule collection emphasizing the iconic color blocking so often seen in moto jackets and on the track.
Formula 1’s prestigious reputation has kept the sport as exclusive entertainment for the rich, but its fashion appeal has opened the sport to a growth in popularity amongst the rest of the world. The development of brand partnerships with individual racers has only grown under the influence of a top racing team. 2025 is bound to be filled with more bold collaborations, innovative collections, and new streetstyle.
