It’s a massive summer for sports with Wimbledon, Formula 1, and the Euro Finals, and that’s before we even get to the Olympics. And what would sport be without fashion? A lot less interesting, in my opinion, and it seems I’m not alone. Fashion houses are tapping sports stars to front their campaigns and in some cases even design their collections.
Lewis Hamilton, who is almost as famous for his directional take on haute couture as he is for his sporting prowess, sits at the axis where fashion and sport collide. Plus 44, Hamilton’s own label has become a cult streetwear staple, and major labels have been scrambling to dress the F1 icon for his infamous “paddock walks”.
The seven-time Formula 1 World Champion is now officially a Dior Ambassador for Men’s Fashion and to he’s even gust designing his own collection. The capsule of winter sportswear will draw on Hamilton’s “powerful, exhilarating universe” and pulls references from African culture and the continent’s rich and diverse landscape.
In a joint post shared on Instagram this morning, the house welcomed its newest ambassador and hinted at the upcoming lifestyle capsule, which was designed alongside Kim Jones, Dior’s Creative Director of Menswear and friend of Hamilton. The house says that the edit of skiing and snowboarding styles will reaffirm “a lasting legacy of embracing icons who redefine what is possible.”
Lewis Hamilton and Kim Jones at the +44 Home Turf Collection launch at Selfridges
Due to launch on October 17th, the capsule will blend highly functional technical details with sustainable fabrications, many of which will come from Burkina Faso, according to a press release. African-inspired motifs—the design duo share a love of Africa and plan to travel to Mozambique together later this year, according to WWD—will meet heritage tweed tailoring, graphic emblems, and expertly constructed separates and knitwear.
The capsule will also include snowboarder shoes and extreme sports accessories; unsurprisingly, Hamilton is into his adrenaline activities, and the edit is designed for active lifestyles. The collection might be Hamilton's first of this magnitude, but I doubt it'll be the last.
