F1 Is No Longer Just Luxury: It's New Luxury
Vegas is all about showmanship, even much to the chagrin of the drivers who headed to Sin City for F1 Las Vegas. In spite of, or perhaps due to that, the event became an instant classic thanks to arguably one of the year’s most competitive races and some of the most notable fashion we’ve seen on and around the grid.
As attendees, our week began at Wynn Las Vegas, where we stayed for the entire race week. The resort hosted all of the must-see race-related events, including the Netflix Cup, which featured Carlos Sainz, Alex Albon, and frequent Travis Scott Jordan-wearer Lando Norris.
Also at Wynn, Sotheby’s auctioned some of the world’s rarest cars, including Lewis Hamilton’s first Mercedes F1 car, which ended up selling for a light $18.8 million.
Brand recognition is what F1 Vegas was all about, especially "new luxury", a term that describes streetwear's infiltration into the upper tiers of fashion in recent years and its now eventual domination.
Of course, you can't talk new luxury style without talking about the best-dressed athlete in the world, Lewis Hamilton. Hamilton kept his foot on the gas all weekend physically and metaphorically, wearing only custom or bespoke looks fresh off the runway, thanks to stylist Eric J McNeal.
We first saw Lewis walking the red carpet at Wynn in Valentino Spring/Summer 2024, Versace boots, Bottega sunglasses, and a Pharrell-era Louis Vuitton necklace, for instance.
Later, at an Almave mixer, Hamilton wore a pearl-lined piece also from Pharrell’s debut Louis Vuitton collection. Lewis’ qualifying fit was a stealthy ensemble from Bottega Veneta, arguably the luxury label best known for elevating leather to an art form. However, this look was thoughtfully made of vegan leather to align with Hamilton's vegan lifestyle.
Finally, on race day, Hamilton kept it bespoke and British, going with a custom fit from Burberry. This sparkling number was very on-brand not only for Hamilton’s flashy style but Vegas's omnipresent ostentatious flair.
Outside of the track, PUMA held a pop-up for their new Creative Director of Motorsport, A$AP Rocky. The duo took over Las Vegas’ Fremont neighborhood, repurposing an old motel gas station to debut the A$AP Rocky and PUMA's inaugural collaboration with F1, a sporty affair rich with motorsport cues.
Eventually, Rocky himself pulled up to the pop-up led by a stampede of dirt bikes accompanied by none other than Rihanna. Rocky had a quick outfit change, wearing his new collaboration and a one-of-one jacket.
“I think this capsule is fun and youthful, but if you’re in your mid 30s or 40s you won’t feel too silly wearing it,” Rocky said. He also made it clear this his relationship with PUMA is a long-term partnership, stating that by 2025 he'll be overseeing full collections that extend to footwear and beyond.
Rih, on the other hand, opted for a cocoon coat in patchwork patinated leather from Prada's Summer/Spring 2024 collection. On race day, she swapped leathers, sporting a Balenciaga SS24 jacket and knife pantaleggings while shouting out Yoon by wearing AMBUSH's headband glasses. That's a lot of new luxury.
F1 is an opulent sport now, you see, and this Las Vegas stop lends itself to an even more prominent role in fashion. Even for the inaugural go-round, plenty of brands participated.
sacai came through with an experiential showcase for the apparel collection it designed with Mercedes AMG — designer Chitose Abe herself even stopped by. Palace took advantage of the opportunity, meanwhile, to align with Alpine F1 Team sponsor Kappa to create a collaborative capsule that was spotted all over the paddock and even on the track.
Lewis Hamilton also got in on the action, hosting a showroom for his brand +44, which revealed its latest Takashi Murakami collaboration. Cherry Los Angeles, meanwhile, delivered an Oracle Red Bull letterman worn by Sergio "Checo" Pérez.
Whether diehard F1 fans like it or not, F1 is entertainment, and with high-profile entertainment comes luxury (and new luxury) labels. There's ample space for F1 and designers to carve out a fashion-focused niche akin to what the NBA and NFL have created with their pre-game tunnels and post-game locker room flexes.
Ultimately, you can do both. F1 can retain its purity as a sport and Lewis Hamilton can keep wearing a custom designer outfit on every single race day.
