In addition to his career in Formula 1, Lewis Hamilton is of course also busy with a lot of other things, such as the world of fashion. The seven-time world champion explains what appeals to him so much and how he even convinced Niki Lauda that it was good for him.
Hamilton and fashion are now inextricably linked within the Formula 1 paddock. The Mercedes driver is regularly involved in fashion outside of his racing activities, so the Briton is occasionally present at major fashion events around the world. He likes to take his love for fashion with him to his other love, racing. Hamilton usually appears on the track in special attire for a session or media day, something that some fans really enjoy. Other fans enjoy it less.
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Persons of color
The British driver explains GQ Magazine what appeals to him about the fashion world: “I come from the racing world where my father and I were the only people of color. Then I went to the fashion world. It was all so mixed and so diverse. I loved it,” says Hamilton after he attended his first fashion show in 2007 – before his Formula 1 career. Years later, Hamilton was given the opportunity to design a number of collections for none other than Tommy Hilfiger, an opportunity he seized with both hands.
Niki Lauda
To celebrate that launch, he attended a show in New York in 2018 – just before the Singapore Grand Prix. He came under a lot of criticism. “That is indeed not a great preparation for a race weekend. You have to pay very close attention to that. People said I was not focused, but I was not partying at all or drinking late. I went to Singapore and rode one of the best laps I had ever driven. After that moment everyone was like: ‘Oh, he can just do that.’ Even Niki – who first told Toto that I couldn’t do that to a racing driver – eventually saw that it was possible.”
