From Racetrack to Runway - F1 Fashion Partnerships
It’s not news that F1 has taken the world by storm, the increasing popularity from Drive To Survive, paired with the power of social media, has created a buzz around the sport and pushed it to new heights. F1 partnerships with high-end brands is something that has been around for a long time, Rolex being one of the main sponsors of many races throughout the year. However, we are now seeing fashion brands getting more involved in the sport, from collabs with teams and drivers, merch partnerships, even sponsoring teams.
With the new name for Redbull Racings Sister team, Alpha Tauri set to be announced THIS weekend, at the Mexican Grand Prix, what better time to take a look at how Formula One is taking over the world of fashion.
Hugo Boss Bulls Racing or Adidas?
If you’re across all things Formula One, you would have seen the rumors of who the naming sponsor could be in 2024 for Alpha Tauri. The team is no stranger to a rebrand, changing from Toro Rosso to Alpha Tauri in 2020, to align with the Alpha Tauri fashion brand, now for the upcomng 2024 season, it has been revealed that there are 2 possible title sponsors for the team. It is between German fashion brand Hugo Boss or iconic sportswear brand Adidas. While the potential name for the team if Adidas is the one to win the battle hasn’t been leaked, the options for Hugo Boss have and.. I’ll let you make your own decision. The name has been tipped to be Hugo Boss Bulls Racing.. Personally, it’s a no but I do think Hugo Boss would be a better title sponsor than adidas. As I am a Daniel fan, I am going to be supporting this team for the foreseeable future so I want to like the name. The pro for Adidas would be the amount of merch and it would be more affordable.
PUMA racing to top spot in F1 collaborations
Puma has had long running partnerships with multiple teams in Formula One, including Mercedes, Ferrari and Alfa Romeo. However, Puma announced that in 2024 they will be extending their long term partnership with Formula One (which started back in the 1980’s) and will be the official supplier of F1 merch at races. Puma has also shared they will “Create Formula One fanwear that targets the sport's different audiences with exciting lifestyle and motorsport collections.'“ Puma are on their way to connect the sport and the fashion world. Puma has also worked with some of the women in F1 including Lissie Mackintosh and Naomi Schiff. They’re making F1 merch more accessible and relatable to a wider range of F1 fans.
BREAKING
ASAP Rocky named as Creative Director for PUMA X F1
Now, I am all about the power of manifesting. I drafted this article, writing about PUMA and F1’s future, 3 hours later it was announced that ASAP Rocky would lead the creative direction for the 2024 F1 partnership and beyond. This is an incredible partnership that I think will absolutley change the game when it comes to team merchandise, which is exactly what Puma has set astheir goal with this F1 partnership. His collections will be sold at the track, designed around the different races, his first will, of course, debut at the inaugural Las Vegas Grand Prix in November. I have written a full post about this new announcement, you can check that out here.
Tommy Hilfiger x Mercedes
The partnership between Mercedes and Tommy Hilfiger has been ongoing since 2018, when the brand became the Official Apparel Partner of the team. Tommy Hilfiger can be seen on all Mercedes racing gear and is often worn by Mercedes-AMG F1 driver George Russell on his arrival to the F1 paddock.
Palm Angels sponsor HAAS F1 team
One that was suprising to me was the Palm Angels teaming up with HAAS. Palm Angels joined the F1 sponsor roster in 2022. They have said partnering with HAAS F1 team is the perfect match, as HAAS is the “outsider” and newest team in Formula One, while also being the only American team. This was appealing to Palm Angels because, the entry price for the brand wasn’t as high as other teams, and because they’re a more unique brand entering the paddock, which made them resonate with HAAS. They have released merch and have their logo on the F1 car, while also providing creative input into the drivers overalls and team kits.
Ferrari - From cars to couture
The Italian luxury manufacturers unveiled it’s newest addition - a high fashion collection. In 2021, at New York Fashion Week, they showcased their first collection. Sticking to their iconic Red and Yellow colour palette, the collection was an amazing nod to their heritage and racing history, but with a modern twist. Ferrari Formula One drivers Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz are often seen wearing pieces from the collection.
This is just the beginning..
There are many more.. Some memorable collaborations and partnerships between fashion brands and McLaren F1 team include:
McLaren x Rhude, Tumi x Lando Norris, REISS x Lando and recently partnered with F1 content creator and presenter Lissie Mackintosh. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz were the front of a RayBan campaign, Police sunglasses worked with Lewis Hamilton. The list does go on.
Fashion is focussed on taking over the Formula One world, and doing so, fast. With more collaborations in the pipeline and the title sponsors slowly leaning towards including more fashion brands. It is an exciting time for fans of both motorsport and fashion.