Fashion fits Formula 1

The Future. F1’s recent explosion in popularity has made fertile ground for fashion collaborations and partnerships, with brands like Louis Vuitton and Hugo Boss getting in on the action. With sports like football, basketball, golf, and tennis saturated in brand deals, the next few years in fashion could be defined by a race to fit Formula 1’s best drivers and establish a new lane for creating trends.

Runway to speedway
Fashion wants to hit the pit with the biggest names in F1.

• Italian streetwear brand Palm Angels became Haas F1’s “entertainment curator” — hosting dinners, parties, and, yes, creating a fashion line.
• LVMH went all in, with Berluti becoming Alpine F1’s “elegance partner” and Louis Vuitton designing a travel case for the Monaco Grand Prix trophy in 2021.
• Hugo Boss outfitted the entire team of Aston Martin F1, including drivers and support staff, and plans to release a co-branded consumer line later in the year.

The race for F1 to suit up in luxury stems from seven-time championship-winner Lewis Hamilton, who has made fashion a key part of his image (to the initial annoyance of F1 leadership), designing collections with Tommy Hilfiger and Saul Nash before launching his brand, +44. Several other racers are now following in his footsteps.

Hamilton is also a producer behind the in-production F1 Apple film, Apex, directed by Joseph Kosinski (Top Gun: Maverick). The project prominently features Tommy Hilfiger logos on the jumpsuits of its stars (Damson Idris and Brad Pitt) in the movie, further tightening the threads between F1, Hollywood, and fashion.