Can automotive brands truly break into fashion?

As the Formula One (F1) season returns to Shanghai this weekend with the Chinese Grand Prix, the relationship between high-speed motorsport and high-end fashion is accelerating fast. One glance at F1 world champion Lewis Hamilton’s Instagram reveals the bold synergy between the sport and fashion; from shots of the new Ferrari team wardrobe, to his brand’s exclusive +44 x Sorayama capsule, timed to coincide with the Shanghai Grand Prix. Even the F1 grid has become its own runway, with drivers turned style icons and brands turning cars into canvases for culture. The motorsport’s meteoric cultural rise is no accident, as CEO Stefano Domenicali told Jing Daily in an interview, “We want our fans to have a 365-day relationship with Formula 1, and that means engaging with them not just at races, but online, in fashion, and within their everyday culture.” Beyond F1’s evolving reputation as a sport at the center of style, the auto industry’s ties to fashion have deepened in recent years, with car brands not only collaborating with designers but even striving to position themselves as standalone fashion players. Under creative director Rocco Iannone, Ferrari has now presented seven Milan Fashion Week shows. Last month, Range Rover entered the industry with an eight-piece clothing capsule, starring supermodel Adwoa Aboah in the campaign. Bugatti opened its first fashion store in London over a decade ago now too. But will automotive companies ever reach the fashion potential of luxury houses? The F1 influence What was once a niche sport for petrolheads has become a global entertainment spectacle. Since Liberty Media’s acquisition of Formula One in 2016, the sport has transformed into a year-round content machine. With just 20 drivers across a 24-race calendar in 2025, F1 is cultivating superstar status for each driver. Their visibility now rivals that of top-tier celebrities. As a result, F1 drivers like Hamilton and Charles Leclerc are regulars at fashion weeks, fronting luxury campaigns and co-designing collections. A teams expand their brand equity off-track, their role in fashion is deepening — and strategic. Streetwear strategy Automotive brands are tapping into fashion as a new avenue of revenue. As a result, there has been a surge of luxury streetwear crossovers. Porsche continues to team up with cult label Aimé Leon Dore (ALD), with their fourth collaboration debuting in April 2024 — featuring a restored 1986 Porsche 944 Turbo and a campaign starring Action Bronson. Bentley recently joined the conversation with its first capsule in Q4 2024, teaming up with lifestyle label Picante. Meanwhile, BMW has collaborated with Kith three times since 2021. F1 drivers are becoming luxury style icons F1’s cultural crossover is also being powered by the drivers themselves. Seen at front rows, starring in brand campaigns, and racking up Gen Z fanbases on TikTok and Xiaohongshu (also known as RedNote), drivers now bring the same influence as A-list celebrities. Ferrari’s collaboration with Puma for the 2025 season reflects this shift, blending high-performance design with luxury aesthetics. The collection’s highlights include a neo-Chinese Tang suit jacket and a reimagined Speedcat sneaker — Gen Z’s latest obsession. Why automakers are looking to fashion Facing market uncertainty, car brands are looking beyond the showroom. Bentley saw operating profit fall from 589 million euros in 2023 to 373 million euros in 2024, while Porsche announced plans to cut 4,000 jobs after a 28% sales drop in China. BMW also saw its net profit decline 37% in 2024. In this context, fashion offers a high-visibility, culture-driven opportunity for reinvention. But while car brands excel at commercial branding, few have yet cracked the code of cultural credibility. Despite strong design and craftsmanship, Ferrari’s fashion collections still don’t receive the same critical acclaim as established luxury houses. For now, wearing a car brand’s logo often feels more merch than style. The road ahead: Fashion, not just formula To resonate with today’s luxury consumer, car brands must go beyond logomania. Emphasizing textile innovation, tailoring, and storytelling could position automakers as true fashion players. Leveraging their design ethos and cultural capital, brands like Rolls-Royce, Ferrari, or Porsche could build their own lanes in fashion — not just follow in the tire tracks of sportswear. As Formula 1 expands its cultural footprint, the opportunity is clear: a future where a fashion critic might take a Formula One fashion line as seriously as they do a runway show in Paris.

Can automotive brands truly break into fashion?

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Published March 21, 2025

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Can automotive brands truly break into fashion?