F1’s high fashion moment is just getting started

Formula 1 has always sold speed and status — but in recent years, it has evolved into something more: style and taste. From the opening of Ferrari’s London flagship to Lewis Hamilton’s co-chair role at the 2025 Met Gala, from Shanghai subway takeovers to race-worn memorabilia at auction, the sport’s relationship with fashion is now serious business, and it is accelerating. That momentum is especially visible this weekend at the Miami Grand Prix, where the intersection of luxury fashion and pop culture opportunity is coming sharply into focus. Joopiter, the auction house founded by Pharrell Williams, has announced two F1-themed sales to coincide with the race, underscoring how deeply style and collectability are now embedded in the sport. “With a continued focus on masterpiece-level offerings across the Joopiter platform, we are excited to expand into race-worn memorabilia and supercars,” said Caitlin Donovan, Joopiter’s Global Head of Sales. “This pairing captures a precise and meaningful moment in automotive history. The Ferrari 812 Competizione and 458 Speciale A represent the ultimate, most distilled expressions of the marque’s naturally aspirated philosophy. Together, they offer collectors a rare opportunity to acquire not just two exceptional cars, but a complete snapshot of a defining transition within Ferrari’s legacy.” The first sale, CLUTCH: Two Ferraris, features a pair of modern icons: the Ferrari 812 Competizione and the Ferrari 458 Speciale A. The second, TMG: The Modern Grid, offers race-worn suits, helmets and memorabilia from drivers including Charles Leclerc, Lewis Hamilton, Michael Schumacher and Oscar Piastri. Together, the auctions merge sporting artifact and fashion object. A race-worn Hamilton suit, at this moment, is not so different from a couture piece. It carries provenance, narrative and cultural weight. Collectors will thus pay accordingly. Automotives break fashion Ferrari Style underscored that broader shift last month with the opening of its new flagship on London’s Bond Street, one of the world’s most competitive retail corridors. Lewis Hamilton arrived in a custom look designed by creative director Rocco Iannone: an immaculate black-on-black ensemble, finished with a discreet white Prancing Horse. Ferrari might have finally made automotive fashion genuinely desirable. It is a challenging feat. Luxury car brands have often struggled to extend their cachet into fashion. Expertise in one category does not automatically transfer to another. A Ferrari fragrance, for instance, does not carry the same immediate authority as one from Dior or Chanel. But Iannone, whose résumé includes Giorgio Armani and Dolce & Gabbana, has been building credibility since Ferrari Style’s 2021 runway debut in Maranello. His Fall/Winter 2025 “Officina” collection, named for the Italian word for workshop, fuses classic Italian tailoring with racing codes. The Bond Street store is the clearest sign yet that Ferrari is not experimenting, it is finally competing. The timing is ideal. According to the 2025 Global F1 Fan Survey, 58 percent of Gen Z fans say fashion and style are important to their experience of the sport. Women now account for 42 percent of F1’s global audience, up from 37 percent in 2018. Demand is broad, young and increasingly global. A Chinese luxury consumer opportunity Nowhere is that clearer than in China. The 2026 Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai drew more than 230,000 spectators, a record crowd, with tickets selling out across every tier. Spilling beyond the circuit, subway stations, shopping districts and landmarks became part of the spectacle, with pop-ups, installations and creator-led programming turning Formula 1 into a citywide event. Puma, which has steadily expanded its motorsport presence, used Shanghai as a showcase. It hosted a fan event where Charles Leclerc met supporters and livestreamed for the brand, and it staged a motorsport-themed pop-up along the Huangpu River. Shanghai demonstrated an important point: the most effective F1 fashion strategy is participatory. A trackside logo can build awareness. Immersive retail, local storytelling and creator partnerships build affinity. That same dynamic is reshaping the sport’s partnerships worldwide. LVMH signed a 10-year global partnership with Formula One in 2025, bringing Louis Vuitton, Moët Hennessy and TAG Heuer deeper into the sport. Louis Vuitton’s name even appeared in the title of the Australian Grand Prix. Hamilton sits at the center of this convergence. He co-chaired the 2025 Met Gala — its theme, “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style” — wearing a look by Grace Wales Bonner rich in symbolism and craft. He is also a Dior ambassador. The paddock, in short, has become fashion’s newest cultural front row. From Shanghai to Bond Street to Miami, the pattern is clear: Formula 1 is developing a luxury fashion language of its own, and it is only accelerating.

F1’s high fashion moment is just getting started

How Bottega Veneta weaved China’s forever it bag

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F1’s high fashion moment is just getting started

How Bottega Veneta weaved China’s forever it bag