How Fashion Fell in Love with Formula 1—and the Brands That are Doing it Best

Even those with zero interest in sports can no longer ignore the industry’s influence. Gone are the days of tuning into the TV to catch the latest score or actively searching for team updates—luxury fashion labels have brought all kinds of sports front and centre. Gucci's turned to tennis, Louis Vuitton's gone all-out for golf, and Celine has made a notable impact in the Pilates space. But right now, all eyes are on Formula 1—and not just because of Brad Pitt’s upcoming blockbuster (although that hasn’t hurt).

Tommy Hilfiger is the official apparel partner of Cadillac Formula 1 and also a major sponsor of said Brad Pitt F1 film. Perfect Moment and the BWT Alpine Formula One Team have recently released a collaborative collection. Reiss is on its second drop with McLaren F1, and of course, Ferrari now has its own fully-fledged fashion line. Plus, who could forget Chanel’s 2023 Cruise collection, complete with race car-inspired T-shirts, boilersuits, and that now-famous racing helmet bag—or the fact that Louis Vuitton designs the trophy cases? Fashion and F1’s relationship is clearly tightening.

However, “the commercialisation of Formula 1 is not a new trend,” says Natasha Bird, journalist and founder of Tough Crowd. “Fashion’s involvement in Formula 1 to the extent that it is now is new, but it follows a pattern that we have seen before.”

“Brands noticed the potential to dress the drivers a while ago. Much in the way that any brand has invested in influencer marketing, brands recognised that the F1 drivers are now some of the biggest influencers in the world, so dressing them was part of any smart brand’s influencer marketing strategy and probably very lucrative,” Bird adds.

Now, however, as larger sponsorships, collaborative collections and more visible marketing take hold, “it’s this recognition that many, many more women and young people are now spectators—more than they were before—so brands are wanting to latch on to that target market, having recognised that this is a very lucrative space to be in,” Bird notes.

To put it into perspective, PR agency Karla Otto’s Influence of Sports Insights report states that Formula 1 is the second-fastest growing sport in earned media value, up 34% in 2023 compared to the same period in 2022. It notes Netflix’s Drive to Survive docuseries as a key driver, drawing in 6.8 million viewers—49% of whom were women.

For Tommy Hilfiger, though, a more personal element is at play. “My love for racing started early—I used to sneak peeks through the fence at Watkins Glen, the home of the U.S. Grand Prix. That passion never left me,” says Hilfiger, speaking exclusively with Marie Claire UK. “Over the years, it’s become part of the brand’s DNA, from sponsoring Team Lotus and Ferrari to Mercedes-AMG F1, and our five-collection collaboration with Lewis Hamilton. Joining the ride of F1 The Movie—and sponsoring the fictional APXGP team—is a natural extension of our longstanding heritage that fuses our love of speed, style and storytelling.”

He adds, “Formula 1’s global presence is more inclusive and influential than ever before, transcending into what I call ‘fashiontainment,’ and we’re excited to be shaping the journey with them both on and off the track.”

That sense of genuine passion is felt by both insiders and fans. As Bird says, while fashion brands continue to “hop on the bandwagon” of growing F1 interest, it’s the early adopters and true supporters of the sport who will be rewarded most. “Tommy Hilfiger was one of the first fashion brands to sponsor the F1 Academy [an accelerator programme to get women, who are very much underrepresented in the sport, onto the leaderboard], and that got them a lot of brilliant support and credibility,” says Bird. “It was a good move from an ethical perspective to be investing in women, but it was also a good move from a commercial perspective, because all of those women spectators took note that Tommy Hilfiger as a brand was one of the first to step up and wholeheartedly support women’s ambitions in the sport too.”

Beyond personal passion or commercial ROI, there are some striking parallels between fashion and motorsport, notes Kewal Gala, co-founder of emerging fashion brand Margene and a former designer for Phoebe Philo, Marc Jacobs and Margaret Howell: “Having worked in the industry, I felt there was an eerie sense of parallel that could be drawn between F1 and fashion—the fast pace, the competitive spirit, the endless cycle of teams changing, the ego clashes.” As a nod to these similarities, she designed a pair of racing driver-style trousers for a past-season collection.

So while Formula 1 fashion is certainly having a moment, true fans will be looking for more than just a quick collab. The brands that dig deeper—and genuinely connect with the sport’s community—are the ones most likely to win.

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