It’s a lively Thursday night on London’s Bond Street and Mayfair is filled with hoards of hysterical Gen Zers, camera phones in the air, seething with excitement outside Dior’s flagship store. What they are giddy about is the imminent arrival of Sir Lewis Hamilton; The F1 champion is launching his own collaboration with the famous house in Paris and the screams intensify when he gets there.
Perhaps more than any other athlete today, Hamilton has become a bona fide rock star far beyond the confines of the racetrack. As she approaches her 40th birthday, her fashion status has been assured this week with two major announcements: that she will join Anna Wintour and Pharrell Williams as co-chair of next year’s prestigious Met Gala, and the launch of her first collection for Dior. Designed in collaboration with menswear artistic director Kim Jones. Hamilton, who arrived at the latter’s launch event in a bold black suit that included a jacket with a jagged yellow motif, says he is more comfortable than ever in this high-fashion environment and more confident in his own appearance, too.
“I said ‘yes’ immediately,” he admits of the moment Jones contacted him about working together. “I’ve always been a huge fan of Kim’s work.” British designer Jones is perhaps Britain’s most prolific fashion designer working today; He runs Dior Men and, until recently, the Italian house Fendi. Hamilton insists that the process of creating the collection was more involved than simply applying his name to something.
He clearly enjoys his role as co-designer; The resulting designs fall somewhere between the Courchevel ski buff and the California surfer guy; Fluorescent fringed fleeces, painterly polka dots, sporty jackets and puffer jackets. “It was hands-on work, which isn’t easy when you travel as much as I do,” he says. “I really immersed myself in the process, we would meet in person whenever possible and have a group chat to constantly share ideas, inspiration and feedback while we were on the road. Kim and her team offered their experience and talents to help shape my creativity.”
Considering Hamilton’s evolution in the fashion world and his visible enthusiasm for self-expression, an offer to collaborate with one of the world’s most important brands makes sense. The Stevenage lad has become one of men’s fashion’s most experimental figures in recent years. His style has become more unconventional and daring as he has risen to record-breaking Formula 1 power since he began his racing career in 2001.
“When I first started in F1 I felt a lot of pressure to fit in, but over the years I started to feel more comfortable with my style,” he admits. The first photographs of Hamilton, when he first started gaining attention, show him in suave blazers and casual skinny jeans; He looks like your average 20 year old going out at night.
“I had the opportunity to go to a fashion show in Paris for the first time in my early 20s and was blown away by the experience and amazing energy, which really inspired me to start expressing myself entirely through fashion.”
Expressing himself and then some; Some highlights of hifalutin include rebellious print and pattern, Brigade pops of plaid, stardust-sprinkled jewels, more brocade and embroidery than Louis XIV’s court, and eye-catching streetwear designs.
She’s been a fixture on the Met Gala red carpet for the last five years; She wears some of her boldest combinations, such as the on-trend Kenneth Nicholson suit with a tulle skirt, and this year’s Burberry oversized black embroidered jacket and necklace. prickly thorns. He has also been diligent in providing a platform for young black designers, wearing pieces by emerging talents such as Theophilio, Jason Rembert, and Ahluwalia at high-profile public events.
The fact that he chooses to play with stylistic conventions in the very macho world of motor racing is particularly impressive and inspiring for the younger generation. It’s not the standard leather racing jacket for him.
But he explains that he didn’t always have such confidence. Growing up in Hertfordshire and since 1998, when he was 13, his ambition as a competitive junior racer was to fit in rather than stand out.
“When I was younger, I was really inspired by hip-hop culture and expressing myself through these types of looks,” she says. “But I was also trying to do well in racing, and that kind of style wasn’t really accepted in that world.”
“I thought it was important to adapt, and that’s what I tried to do,” he continues. “As I got older and started to find success in Formula 1, I embarked on this journey worrying less about getting approval from others and instead discovering what really works for me.”
Hamilton loves skirts and is known to have worn a blue checkered Burberry model at the 2021 Turkish Grand Prix. Maybe it’s because years ago in 2017, she mocked her teenage niece for wearing a dress on social media, saying “boys don’t wear princess dresses!” This is his sartorial atonement for the wrong step he made. in a video which he quickly removed and apologized for. She continued to appear in a skirt on the Hamilton cover GQ Saying, “I want to fix it.” Today, she looks as happy in a princess-like confection of lace as she does impeccable tailoring.
His chameleon approach was undoubtedly the highlight American Vogue editor Anna Wintour’s eye – Hamilton said it was an “honor” to be chosen to join him as the chair of one of the world’s most watched red carpet parades. The theme he will preside over is relevant: Super Slim: Tailoring Black Style, a look at the influence of black dandyism in fashion.
Hamilton describes her dressing ethos: “I love fashion, but I’ve found that originality is the most important thing.” “It’s not about following trends, it’s about truly appreciating the art these designers create. I think the key to styling is finding what makes you feel good. You will always look great if you are confident in what you wear.
Hamilton says the clothes helped him feel ready to race rather than distract from the sport. Creating the image of Lewis Hamilton to stand out from the crowd and take pole position, he is known to wear vibrant hues and bold jewelery to compete. “The look I wear on the runway right now is like my superpower,” she reflects. “They let me be myself, and that’s a very powerful feeling.”