Beyond his sporting merits as a driver, which are practically infinite, Lewis Hamilton has been the athlete who has best completed the transition to fashion icon, becoming famous for his numerous outfits (often all full looks, but we hold out hope) and cultivating a style that has brought major fashion brands to the lips of men around the world. But today a new milestone in Hamilton’s advancement in fashion was announced: he will design a capsule for Dior. After several seasons without any explicit and direct collaborations (the last one was with Denim Tears, presented alongside the Egyptian show some time ago) and several years after his experiment with a guest designer more familiar with boutique interiors than with those of an atelier or a factory, namely the relatively unfortunate collaboration with Travis Scott that was withdrawn from stores after the tragic events at Astroworld and then re-released in the summer of two years ago.
The Dior Men capsule collection designed by Kim Jones and Lewis Hamilton
Lewis Hamilton’s first collaboration with Dior focuses on ski and snowboard clothing, an unusual choice considering Hamilton’s background behind the wheel. Nevertheless, Jones learned his lesson: leave the main collection undisturbed and collaborate with figures from outside fashion on a more manageable winter skiwear capsule. The collection reflects Hamilton’s personal interest in extreme sports, including snowboarding, skydiving and surfing, with fabrics ranging from denim to tweed; fleece jerseys, sweatshirts and tops; and technical clothing produced by Japanese skiwear brand Descente, which has been collaborating with Dior since the launch of the brand’s ski capsule in 2020. Accessories include B44 Blade and Snow trainers, the latter technically suited for snowboarding. Aesthetically, the clothes incorporate African-inspired motifs, with some fabrics sourced from Burkina Faso, underlining the duo’s commitment to supporting local communities and promoting sustainable practices. As Hamilton is vegan, there is no leather in the collection.
The Dior Men capsule collection designed by Kim Jones and Lewis Hamilton
But in fact that transition from mere athlete to entity in the fashion world (something like Federer more or less did between Louis Vuitton campaigns and investments in On) seems to have been in Hamilton’s plans for some time now. Since joining Mercedes in 2013, he has been an ambassador for Swiss watch manufacturer IWC Schaffhausen and is expected to move to Richard Mille with his move to Ferrari next year. Although Ferrari has its own fashion line and has Giorgio Armani as a sponsor, the connection between the driver and Dior will remain the same. In the design world, the driver has also designed several collections with Tommy Hilfiger as of 2018 and recently made it known that he has plans for his own brand, Plus 44, named after his race number, and also that he has a potential collaboration with Takashi Murakami in store.