Over recent years Formula 1 and it’s drivers have been diving head first into the fashion and beauty industry. Drivers are becoming influencers, fashionistas, and brand partners in addition to being athletes. The majority of brands have adopted the racing look, producing items that pay homage to Formula 1's elegant visual language. A wider, younger, and more fashion-conscious public has been introduced to Formula 1, and in addition to luxury apparel, it represents desire and a way of life characterized by performance, individuality, and global impact.
THE DRIVERS
Sir Lewis Hamilton
At the forefront of Formula 1 and fashion is no other than Sir Lewis Hamilton. The 7x World Champion has been known not only for his incredible racecraft but also his bravery in standing up against racism in the F1 community and treating the race weekend like a fashion show. In 2021 Hamilton took these two things he was most passionate about, fashion and activism, and combined them at the Met Gala — which he co-chaired last month — when he bought out an entire table (costing a minimum of $350,000) to specifically celebrate emerging Black designers, giving them an unprecedented opportunity to showcase their talents. Even when faced with backlash from F1’s governing body, the FIA, over a jewelry ban in place since 2004, Hamilton refused to take out his nose and ear piercing and even retaliated by showing up the next press conference decked out in three watches, multiple chains, etc. In a recent business venture Hamilton’s clothing brand +44 teamed up with Tyler, The Creator’s clothing brand Golf Wang for an exclusive Las Vegas Capsule.
Ferrari Style x Charles Leclerc
This year for his home Grand Prix, Charles Leclerc collaborated with Ferrari Style’s creative director Rocco Iannone to create an exclusive, luxury collection. The Monégasque driver drew inspiration from the blues of the Harbor that served as the backdrop to his childhood and celebrates his long awaited and emotional victory last year, which marked the first time a Monégasque driver took home the largest trophy on home turf. The capsule includes pieces drawn from Leclerc’s own style such as denim pieces, casual sweatshirts, caps, and debuts Ferrari’s first ever dog apparel, as Leclerc’s dachshund Leo has overtaken him as the true heartthrob of F1. Leclerc has previously dabbled with fashion, participating in promotional videos for the Ferrari Style Milan fashion show and contributing to the design of the limited-edition Maranello clutch last year. The accessory, designed to resemble a Daytona SP3, was released ahead of the Monza Grand Prix as part of a made-to-order service that allowed buyers to tailor their item in color and material.
Enchanté by Daniel Ricciardo
Former F1 Driver and eight time Grand Prix winner, Daniel Ricciardo launched Enchanté in 2023. The lifestyle brand “brings a refreshing energy to F1 through aspirational design, elevated quality, and unmistakable style.” Before transforming into today’s fun and elegant sell-out brand, his clothing line was known as Ric3 which featured merchandise associated with his racing number. In 2021 the brand tested Enchante apart from Ricciardo, and after doing well fully transition in 2023. The Perth native drew from Australian street style, particularly in the 90s and the motorsport culture for his collections. Beyond clothing, he has also gone into winemaking producing the DR3 range with Adelaide based winery St. Hugo and his newly released Enchanté Rose. The origin for the name of both his clothing brand and rose traces back to an inside joke between friends;
“It started as a bit of a laugh. I lived in Monaco for such a big part of my life, and I didn’t know much French. One of my friends would always say enchanté when we would go out or have a drink, instead of saying ‘cheers’. It always made us sound very Monegasque and a little tip of the cap to somewhere I had spent a lot of my life. It's a bit of cheekiness, a bit of fun and most importantly, a beautiful sounding word.”
Drive to Style
While over recent seasons we’ve seen attention focused toward the new generation of drivers and the style they’ve brought to the paddock, it’s not an entirely new idea. Zhou Guanyu, Yuki Tsunoda, and Jack Doohan all recent or current F1 drivers have strutted out in street style wear, instead of the usual team kit. These waves they’ve been making aren’t something we haven’t seen before. 7x World Champion Michael Schumacher, who is regarded by as if not the, one of the greatest Formula 1 drivers, laid the foundation for the fashion we see today. His style epitomised the best that the 90’s and 00’s had to offer and will always be remembered as an icon off an on track.
TEAM COLLABORATIONS
Tommy Hilfiger is Driving F1 The Movie
Slated for release later this month the F1 Movie has generated a lot of buzz, already creating opposing opinions across fans and drivers. F1 comes from director Joseph Kosinski (Top Gun: Maverick, Tron: Legacy,) starring Damson Idris and Brad Pitt in a racing drama, co-produced by Lewis Hamilton. In a recent interview Carlos Sainz confirmed what many racing fans had already speculated;
“I truly believe that for a new fan it will attract a lot of new audiences, and it will do very well for the people who don't know anything about F1.For the hardcore fans and journalists and us, we'll see things that you think are a bit too American or Hollywood, but honestly I enjoyed the whole film.”
But there is one consensus between fans; Tommy Hilfiger is killing the promotion. The brand partnered up with Apple Studios on F1 The Movie creating a capsule collection inspired by the fictional team APXGP. With Damson Idris as a Brand Ambassador, the two put on a promotional performance at the Met Gala including entering a full race suit, helmet, and car. This collaboration comes naturally as Tommy Hilfiger was the main clothing sponsor for many years at Mercedes AMG Petronas. The brand will go on to sponsor the newly established fellow American Cadillac GM team next year.
McLaren x Reiss
Over the past two years Reiss has collaborated with McLaren Formula 1 team to create exclusive racing-inspired fashion. The collection’s prices are steep, with t-shirts being no less than $100 and leather jackets with mirrored Kiwi’s on each side reaching above $2,000. The two British brands created clothing that has widely applauded by the community for it’s fresh and innovative designs changing how sports merchandise can be unique and nonuniform.
Haas x Palm Angels
In 2023 American based team Haas announced their new partnership with fashion brand Palm Angels. This was the first time an F1 team had a major sponsorship from a streetwear brand. The Italian brand can be found on across the teams’ car, race suits, and garage, focusing visibility on the Italian, Miami, and Las Vegas Grand Prix. Founder and creative director of Palm Angels, Francesco Ragazzi remarked upon the collaboration that;
“The partnership with Haas F1 Team will allow us to delve into both the material and the immaterial, creating a synergy based on optimism and dynamism. These qualities define both Palm Angels as a brand and Haas F1 as team. I completely adhere to the belief that speed is an expression of everything positive. We’ll move across different media, and I am sure we will all have great time together.”
Red Bull x Cherry Los Angeles
The Los Angeles based clothing brand “Cherry,” known for its western and retro inspired style, teamed up with Oracle Red Bull Racing ahead of the 2024 Austin Grand Prix and hosted a pop up there as well. This collection marked a shift from ordinary team merchandise to an elevated, and albeit expensive, clothing collection. The twelve piece capsule featured a vintage looking Championship Jacket with original designs tracing back to the 80’s, an embroidered crew, and a cotton mechanic bowling shirt.
LUXURY INFLUENCE
Chanel 2023 Cruise Collection
The 2023 Chanel Cruise Collection took heavy inspiration from Formula 1 and allure of the Monaco lifestyle so many drivers live. The show took place in Monte Carlo along a sandy catwalk, highlighting helmet handbags and crossbodys, race suit inspired overalls, checkers and glamorous sequins. Throughout the assortment two piece caught the eye of the internet, an embellished dress and shirt both bedecked with a Formula 1 car, pop-up flowers, and emblems of iconic race tracks. But the craftsmanship wasn’t what sent the internet into a frenzy, it was the multi thousand dollar price tag, just for the t-shirt.
LVMH Takes Over
For the 2025 season and beyond Formula 1 made a drastic shift toward LVMH as their main sponsor and even became the title sponsor for the Australian Grand Prix. The luxury conglomerate took over Rolex as the previous timekeeper replacing it with their maison brand Tag Heuer, as well as bringing their another maison, Moet Hennessy (specifically) Moet & Chandon back to the podium celebration as the Official Champagne in place of the Ferrari sparkling wine. Whilst many fans will miss the iconic Rolex “crown” photos, Louis Vuitton has brought something new to the podium: luxury leather Trophy Trunks. These new trophy trunks are adorned by the emblematic monogram and painted with the iconic “V” in a local color scheme unique to each race, standing apart from the trophy trucks of other sports (Australian Open Trophy and Trunk pictured above.)
Rochas Paris, Paul Ricard Circuit
French beauty brand ROCHAS latest campaign for their “Audace” Eau Du Parfum filmed at the retired F1 track circuit Paul Ricard, which was last seen in the calendar in 2022. The campaign advertised a product unrelated to motorsport but the aesthetic seems to speak for itself, racing has become synonymous with luxury and elegance. The campaign included custom ROCHAS race suits, helmets, car livery and even used a large scale version of the new perfume to symbolize a trophy.
Nahmias
Los Angeles based designer Nahmias has been quietly entering the world of Formula 1, launching itself fully with a pop-up and exclusive Grand Prix collection in Monte Carlo in honor of the Monaco GP. The brand was first introduced by Charles Leclerc who has been seen in various pieces including sneakers, jeans, t-shirts, and a custom hoodie depicting his first Ferrari Home Race win in Monza in 2019. Leclerc has also been seen out playing basketball with owner Doni Nahmias and even took him driving in a 3-seater Ferrari around Fiorano.
THE WOMEN AT THE FRONT
Charlotte Tilbury x F1 Academy
Getting women into motorsport has always been an uphill battle, but over the years serious progress has been made to get visibility on the movement and the talent pool. Susie Wolff, the last female to compete in Formula 1 and wife of Mercedes AMG Petronas CEO and Team Principal Toto Wolff, created F1 Academy, an all-female racing series. The mission of the non-feeder series being that having their race weekends coincide with Formula 1 on the same tracks showcase the new generation of female drivers, plus the winner gets a spot on next years F4 grid. Last year the billion dollar beauty brand Charlotte Tilbury became an official partner of F1 Academy, and even partnered up to make the “Charlotte Tilbury Operated by Rodin Motorsport” car which it’s livery (and helmet and racing suit) feature Charlotte Tilbury branding.
Alexandra Saint-Mleux; spearheading the WAG movement
Alexandra Saint-Mleux has drawn in a new audience to Formula 1 as she grew popularity for her Paddock fashion. The girlfriend of Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc, was first publicly seen with him at the Monaco Grand Prix in 2023, but stayed private or reserved on social media until 2024. While she had been gaining a steady traction of followers among the female racing community for dressing accordingly the culture of each Grand Prix’s host country and adding touches of subtle support (such as her Ferrari earrings) she blew up when she made public her instagram account and the world swooned over an ombré Clio Peppiatt dress. Mleux capitalized on her style by recently releasing a collaboration with Meshki, a brand that she frequently stepped out in and she was adored for her relatable and cost friendly outfits The new twenty-four year old also became an ambassador for Rhode beauty, (and even hosted a dinner with Hailey Bieber and Rhode at the Miami Grand Prix) after being photographed around the paddock carrying their peptide lip tint and phone case.
Showing Support through Style
Over the past year the WAGs (Wives and Girlfriends) have overshadowed their partners in the paddock. But as they say the attention is in the details. The girls have stepped up their game by adding personalized touches to their outfits in support of their driver. Girlfriend of the current World Championship leader Oscar Piastri, Lily Zneimer is gaining attention for her understated style. At the Japan Grand Prix she flaunted a custom beaded tee from Shannon Ashley featuring her the initials and number of her school sweetheart. And last year in Austin she stepped out with a mini paracord version of Oscar attached to her bag. But in China this year, Alexandra Saint-Mleux took it a step further sporting a replica clutch of her boyfriend Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari SP3 Daytona, complete with a modern Cheongsam mini dress.
Lily Muni-He
Known in her own regard as a professional golfer Lily Muni-He, girlfriend of Williams Driver Alex Albon, has been an icon of the paddock for her refined style, most known for her unique handbags. When she isn't wearing golf clothing, her sense of style is stunning. It is elegant, refined, and classy. Her style exudes sophistication and refinement, whether she's winning a championship, taking a vacation, or cheering Alex on at his races. Her avant-garde approach to fashion, which combines minimalism with a splash of color, has persuaded us all to include her outfits on our want lists. (Especially her pigeon and car bags!)
Glamour on the Grid
Before the race weekend kicks off the Australian Grand Prix hosts their annual “Glamour on the Grid” event. With attendees including Australian celebrities and VIPs, the party has even been dubbed “Melbourne’s sporting answer to the Met Gala” as it is the major fashion event for Formula 1. The invite-only event took the red carpet down to the pit lane past the garages in stilettos and flair. This year the party featured a star-studded guest list, made up in part by model and actress Maria Thattil, former high-jumper and model Amy Pejkovic, former Miss Universe Olivia Molly Rogers, rapper Baker Boy, and more.
SHINING STARS
Celeb Status
For decades we’ve seen celebrities grace the garages with their attendance, but as always some stand out more than others for what they wear. During Michael Schumacher’s dominant years, Kate Moss would frequently be seen in the Ferrari garage. Her outfits were similar to the time and Schumacher; sophisticated and and trim. While in today’s age models are still popular guests of the paddock, actors such as Simone Ashley (who will be featured in F1 The Movie,) Jacob Elordi, Patrick Dempsey (a racer in his own right as well in the Tudor United Sports Car Series) Timothée Chalamet have been the shining stars recently while bringing color and a modern twist to the styles we’ve seen.
Madeline White, Fashion Influencer
Madeline White has grown her following for a few years now after initially going virally for thrift-flips. While her audience mainly consist of viewers looking for fashion advice and fun experiments with style, there is a niche part of her audience that overlaps with F1. White is one of the few influencers that the F1 community “accepts” as she has been a fan of the sport for much longer than she’d been on social media. Her Grand Prix outfits inspire her audience because in the beginning she was attending them as watcher of the sport and now gets invited as a VIP guest and/or interviewer. White also has her own clothing brand, See You Tomorrow, which is soon to release F1 themed pajamas.
Custom Creations
Before Lily Zneimer appeared in her custom creation, Shannon Ashley went viral on TikTok for documenting the creation of a hand-beaded McLaren dress she designed for the Singapore Grand Prix last fall. The dress gained so much attention that Ashley ended up being invited by the team to the paddock and could even been seen on-screen during FP2. You can now even get your own Shannon Ashley t-shirt and twin with Zneimer. But if you’re not ready to commit to the price point, Amy Chong (Studio Amelia) has a great alternative for beaded F1 shirts.