How Lewis Hamilton Made F1 Fashionable
With his seven world championship titles, British Formula 1 driver Lewis Hamilton has made impressive waves in the motorsport community, all as the first and only Black F1 driver. Yet, despite being an undeniable legend in the motorsport community, he has also become an impactful figure in the fashion industry.
He started popping out at events in designer slim-fitting suits and colorful designer streetwear in 2010. Over the years, his style has evolved, and it can be seen at fashion shows, red carpets, and F1 events. Now, with the collaboration of his stylist Eric Mcneal, his silhouettes have gotten baggier, yet more flattering, and pieces more unique.
Image Courtesy: Getty Images ; Getty Images
This success can be seen through his exciting collaborations. Most significantly, he has been named as the co-chair for the 2025 Met Gala under the theme “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style.” He is no stranger to the event, being an exception to the male attendees in simple black suits. At the 2024 Gala, he paid homage to John Ystumllym, an 18th-century Black gardener, and Alex Wharton, a poet, through his jewelry and beaded embroidered suit.
Image Courtesy: Dimitrios Kambouris via Getty Images; Taylor Hill via Getty Images
Then, in October, he became a Dior ambassador and designed a Lifestyle Capsule for their menswear line. Hamilton and Kim Jones drew inspiration from their time spent in Africa. The collection featured colorful sweaters, jackets, sneakers, and bags.
Image Courtesy: Lewis Hamilton and Dior via Instagram
He also has his own clothing line, +44, which calls his driver number. In the past, he collaborated with Tommy Hilfiger and artist Takashi Murakami. Now, due to the proximity of the iconic Las Vegas Grand Prix, +44 announced a drop with Golf Wang, Tyler the Creator’s brand. It features classic racing team kit items, like jackets, hoodies, tees, and hats.
Image Courtesy: +44 and GOLF via Instagram
With his ever-growing success in motorsports combined with his impressive outfits, he has become a trailblazer between the two worlds.
It can even be argued that the two could be individuals. First, Hamilton has more followers on Instagram than the official F1 account. Then, at the 2024 Met, when asked by Vogue, “Well, you are here representing racing, aren’t you?” He responded with a hesitant “Kind of.”
When analyzing his styling moves, Hamilton is passionate about pursuing fashion on his own. In a feature with Vogue, he revealed, “It’s taken me a long time to get fashionable—and a long time to actually convince the teams to change. I wasn’t able to wear my own things. And then I started going to fashion shows.”
F1 is a relatively new sport, with its first season in 1950. Typically, the only eye-catching outfits that were seen were the racing suits and jackets the drivers donned. When drivers are out of uniform, they are typically seen in their team kits or a relaxed, 90s, off-duty look that Aryton Senna frequented.
Fast-forwarding to today, we see drivers walking down the paddock in eye-catching outfits, as if it is a catwalk, which is an expected thing. And who do we have to thank for these race weekend showcases? Lewis Hamilton.
Due to the importance of maintaining sponsorships, drivers have clothing requirements written into their contracts. Each driver has a certain number of days that they are required to wear their team kits with the numerous sponsors on them. Hamilton negotiates these terms to wear his own looks on race weekends. Then he was able to express himself through his distinctive and one-of-a-kind clothing.
Initially, his looks were met with resistance from F1 and critics. With the sport being known as exclusive, there was a lack of acceptance. In an interview with GQ, Hamilton reflected on this by saying, “Everyone in general has started to be more and more open-minded, and now no one comments on what I wear. It's just like, that's what Lewis does. But at the beginning, jeez, people definitely criticized. [Formula One] was an environment where you couldn't really be yourself.”
One example was at the 2022 Miami Grand Prix, where Hamilton protested against the FIA’s crackdown on piercings and jewelry. He showed up to the press conference with a plethora of accessories. They included multiple necklaces, rings, and three watches. He was unafraid to push back against the rules and even offered to sit out of the race that weekend.
Image Courtesy: Jared C. Tilton via Getty Images
It's clear that he has pioneered this collision of fashion and F1. At the beginning of this year, Hamilton announced he would leave his team of 11 years, Mercedes AMG, for Scuderia Ferrari. With this grand departure, a significant sponsor, Tommy Hilfiger, is leaving with him. The brand was a major provider of on and off-track wear for the team.
With his absence, there will be big shoes to fill for the team's racing ability and the fashion aspect. Mercedes has even opened up a position for a “Driver Clothing Executive.” The team is looking for a stylist for their two drivers for the clothing for fitness, formal, travel, and lifestyle.
So, instead of promoting equal collaboration and interest between F1 and fashion, Hamilton pushed the boundaries. Not only after the sport saw that his fashion was gaining positive reactions, but they highlighted it on their platforms. Now, F1 races are an opportunity to see adrenaline-fueling cars and look sure to impress. For Hamilton, it is a genuine interest of his own. As he once said, if you are being photographed every minute, you might as well look good during it.
Strike Out,
Kim Nguyen
Boca Raton
Kim Nguyen is a Content Writer for Strike Magazine Boca. When not overthinking, this fangirl is either consuming romance media, Vietnamese coffee, or Beyoncé's discography. You can reach her by email at kimvunguyen14@gmail.com or on Instagram @kimnguyen1_.
