Formula 1 Fashion – 10 Moments Where Speed Met Style

Formula 1 fashion has been integral to the sport’s identity since its earliest days. Formula 1 has always been more than a test of engineering and driver skill – it’s a global showcase of prestige, luxury, and personal style. The association of Formula 1 with glamour, wealth, and elite culture has made its connection to luxury fashion inevitable. Some Formula 1 partnerships began well before the recent surge in popularity: the red, white and blue Tommy Hilfiger flag adorned the Lotus Formula 1 cars from 1991 to 1994, while PUMA created tailor-made shoes for drivers back in the 1980s, then for the Jordan F1 team in the late 90s. You’ll definitely have heard of the PUMA Speedcat by now, a shoe based on those earlier F1 footwear designs. Some drivers became notable for their streetwear – Michael Schumacher sported the PUMA Speedcat in the 2000s, Lewis Hamilton has become a street style star in his own right, while the 1980s and 1990s looks worn by the late Ayrton Senna have become a recent source of inspiration for many. From the tailored looks of 1950s champions to the logo-laden jumpsuits of the sponsorship era, right up to today’s fashion week front row appearances and designer collaborations, Formula 1 has long mirrored (as well as influenced) fashion trends.

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What Is Causing the Recently Intensified Formula 1 Fashion Crossover?

In the past few years, especially with the increase in popularity of the sport amongst women (fashion’s primary consumers), the release of Netflix’s Drive to Survive, and 2025’s F1 film, the Formula 1 fashion crossover has intensified. Drivers are emerging as style icons while brands are leveraging the sport’s global reach to merge high speed with high style.

While athletes from other sports have dressed themselves and proven to be style icons for years – just think of basketball stars like Dennis Rodman and Jerami Grant, and footballers including David Beckham and Dominic Calvert Lewin, it hasn’t been all that long that Formula 1 drivers have been showing their own style off-track, with Lewis Hamilton recently commenting “…for some reason, for a long time, particularly when I got into the sport, no one was into fashion. You couldn’t see it anywhere. People were just wearing mismatched stuff all the time.” ^[1]

From the latest Assouline book release to the PUMA Speedcat – based on the original shoes designed for drivers as mentioned above, and worn as street fashion by drivers including Michael Schumacher – the Formula 1 fashion obsession is stronger than ever. Below are ten key examples highlighting this merging of worlds.

1. Assouline – Formula 1: The Impossible Collection (2nd Edition)

Assouline – Formula 1: The Impossible Collection, 2nd Edition; Image credit: Assouline

Known for beautifully illustrated fashion books, Assouline have just released Formula 1: The Impossible Collection (2nd Edition) – an update timed not just for Formula 1’s surge in popularity but also its seventy-fifth anniversary. Chronicling the milestones that changed Formula 1 from a gentlemen’s club in 1950 to a world-renowned sport with countless fans all over the globe,the book highlights technical innovations, drivers’ achievements, and race finishes, featuring drivers such as Bruce McLaren, Enzo Ferrari, Niki Lauda, Ayrton Senna, Michael Schumacher, Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen.

Assouline – Formula 1: The Impossible Collection, 2nd Edition; Image credit: Assouline

Written by Brad Spurgeon, with forewards by Jean Todt and Stefano Domenicali, the book features 180 illustrations and is 41x48x8cm in size. It comes in a luxury yellow PVC clamshell case with a metal plaque.

Assouline – Formula 1: The Impossible Collection, 2nd Edition; Image credit: Assouline

Get the book from Assouline here: Formula 1: The Impossible Collection (2nd Edition)

2. Tommy Hilfiger’s Longstanding Formula 1 Fashion Partnership^[1][2]

Tommy Hilfiger Brings Spring 2018 TOMMYNOW “DRIVE” Experiential Runway Event to Milan; Image credit: Tommy Hilfiger

Tommy Hilfiger has been a fan of Formula 1 for years. Born and raised in Elmira, New York, just a half-hour drive from Watkins Glen, the home of the U.S. Grand Prix from 1961 to 1980, he snuck into races with his friends, becoming drawn to the Lotus Formula 1 team’s black-and-gold livery.

When Silas Chou and Lawrence Stroll’s company Sportswear Holdings acquired Tommy Hilfiger in 1989, Stroll – the executive chairman of Aston Martin’s Formula 1 team – told Hilfiger about an opportunity to sponsor Team Lotus. The Hilfiger flag adorned the Lotus Formula 1 cars from 1991 to 1994, and in Summer 1994, a motorsports-inspired capsule collection and ad campaign were launched. From 1998 to 2002, Hilfiger was Ferrari’s clothing sponsor, designing the team’s driver uniforms and team kits.

Tommy Hilfiger Brings Spring 2018 TOMMYNOW “DRIVE” Experiential Runway Event to Milan; Image credit: Tommy Hilfiger

After meeting Lewis Hamilton at the Met Gala, Hilfiger once again found himself in a Formula 1 fashion partnership, with Hamilton being named a global ambassador for Tommy Hilfiger in Spring 2018. The brand became the clothing sponsor for the Mercedes team that same year, celebrating the partnership with a Spring 2018 TOMMYNOW event during Milan Fashion Week which saw Lewis Hamilton and Toto Wolff seated on the front row. Hamilton and Hilfiger also co-designed capsule collections for the brand. The Tommy Hilfiger brand expanded its presence in 2024 when it became F1 Academy’s official partner.

Tommy Hilfiger Brings Spring 2018 TOMMYNOW “DRIVE” Experiential Runway Event to Milan; Image credit: Tommy Hilfiger

Hilfiger’s partnership with Mercedes (and Formula 1 itself) has now ended – as of the 2025 season, Adidas are the clothing sponsor for Mercedes, and Tommy Hilfiger is no longer linked to F1.

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3. LVMH and Formula 1 Enter 10-Year Partnership^[3]

In a press release dated October 2nd, 2024, LVMH announced that it would become a Global Partner of Formula 1 for 10 years, beginning in 2025. Several of the group’s brands are to be involved in the partnership, including Louis Vuitton, Moët Hennessy, and TAG Heuer. The partnership is set to involve hospitality, activitations, and limited editions. In the words of Stefano Domenicali, President and CEO of Formula 1, “As Formula 1 continues its global growth, attracting new and more diverse audiences, the strength and breadth of LVMH makes it the perfect partner for us to work with as we look to continually enhance the experience of our fans and the heritage of our incredible sport.“

© Boby. From left to right: Stefano Domenicali, President & CEO of Formula 1, Bernard Arnault, Chairman & CEO, LVMH Group, Greg Maffei, President & CEO, Liberty Media, and Frédéric Arnault, CEO, LVMH Watches.; Image credit: LVMH

4. Formula 1 Fashion on the Runway

From black-and-white checkerboard patterns to sporty leather jackets adorned with logos, Formula 1’s influence can be felt very strongly on the runway of late, although it’s not a new phenomenon. An honourable mention goes not just to Tommy Hilfiger for Spring 2018 above, but also to Chanel: always one to create an intricate set, for Cruise 2023, the brand created a set – in Monaco of course – inspired by a racetrack, with models holding helmets as they walked the runway.

5. The Most Literal Formula 1 Fashion Amalgamation: Benetton Formula Limited^[4][5][6]

Benetton Formula Limited, commonly referred to as Benetton, was a Formula 1 constructor that raced from 1986 to 2001. The team was owned by the Benetton family, founders of fashion company Benetton Group S.p.A. in 1965. An iconic brand in the 1980s and 1990s, Benetton has struggled recently, ranking 75th in Interbrand’s ranking of the best global brands then dropping out of the list completely in 2002. Jean-Charles de Castelbajac was appointed as artistic director in 2018 in an effort to revive the brand.

As a Formula 1 team, Benetton had some notable drivers including Michael Schumacher, Jos Verstappen, Jenson Button and Giancarlo Fisichella, pictured here.

The final season featuring Benetton was 2001, as the team re-branded as the Renault F1 Team for 2002.

6. Lewis Hamilton for Dior (and more)^[7][8]

After rising to a street style superstar and gaining millions of social media followers, Lewis Hamilton collaborated with Dior‘s Kim Jones for a capsule collection released in October 2024. A second capsule collection is due to be released on 3rd July 2025. Inspired by Hamilton’s travels to Morocco, Senegal, Mozambique, Benin and Madagascar last summer, the upcoming collection has a theme of Afrofuturism and features leopard print shorts, relaxed tailoring, and a hooded jacket.

Hamilton has also just collaborated with Japanese illustrator Hajime Sorayama for the second time, including work on this sukajan-style jacket.

7. Formula 1 Fashion Courtesy of Scuderia Ferrari^[9]

Ferrari launched its clothing line under creative director Rocco Iannone in June 2021 with a runway presentation in Maranello, Italy, followed by the opening of a flagship store in the city. The line was developed as part of a broader diversification strategy aimed at engaging younger audiences and expanding the brand’s reach, with a clear distinction from traditional merchandise. Ferrari now shows at Milan Fashion Week. While the fashion line’s revenue isn’t disclosed separately, it falls under a segment that recorded a 17.1% year-on-year increase from 2023 to 2024.

Ferrari Fall 2023 [Milan] Creative Direction: Rocco Iannone; Photo Credit: NowFashion.com

Ferrari Fall 2025 [Milan] Creative Direction: Rocco Iannone; Photo Credit: NowFashion.com

8. Luxury Watches – Keeping Time in Formula 1^[10][11]

Motorsports like Formula 1 have a longstanding connection to luxury watch brands, with drivers, teams, tracks and even the Formula 1 itself being sponsored by luxury watch brands. From 2012 until 2024, Rolex had been the official timepiece sponsor of Formula 1, but as of the 2025 season, TAG Heuer – the first luxury brand on a Formula 1 car back in 1969 – became the Official Timekeeper, as part of the 10-year deal by LVMH as mentioned above.

Almost all the Formula 1 teams have their own watch sponsor, and some drivers have their own designated watch. As well as being the Official Timekeeper, TAG Heuer sponsors Red Bull, while McLaren and Ferrari are sponsored by Richard Mille. Mercedes is sponsored by IWC Schaffhausen (shop the IWC x Mercedes collection here), Aston Martin by Girard-Perregaux, Alpine by H. Moser & Cie, and Racing Bulls by Tudor. Teams without a watch sponsor include Williams (formerly sponsored by Bremont) and Kick Sauber (formerly sponsored by Rebellion Timepieces).

9. Monaco Grand Prix – The Ultimate Style Destination^[12]

10. The PUMA Speedcat – Back After a 10+ Year Hiatus^[13][14][15]

The PUMA Speedcat traces its history to the world of motorsports, all the way back to 1983 when Stefan Bellof was the first racing driver to wear individually-tailored PUMA footwear. In 1999, PUMA developed a new motorsports shoe inspired by Bellof’s 1984/85 model, and in collaboration with SPARCO produced fireproof shoes for the Jordan F1 team. The first Speedcat lifestyle shoes were launched in 1999 both in mid-cut and low-cut styles, with Michael Schumacher seen wearing them on the street. The style went on hiatus in 2010, but was relaunched in 2024 in black and red colorways. The Speedcat has now been extended into many other colors and even a ballet-style shoe. The popularity of the PUMA Speedcat is undeniable: at the 2024 launch in South Korea, the Speedcat OG sold out in 17 minutes on the official website and was sold out in stores within half an hour.