How Lewis Hamilton Is Turning Ferrari Into A Luxury Fashion Powerhouse

• Ferrari’s shift from automotive excellence to high-end fashion brings innovation to the luxury clothing market.
• Ferrari blends racing heritage with elegance to capture a new generation of enthusiasts.
• Ferrari’s latest clothing lines reflect speed, style, and craftsmanship, elevating the brand’s appeal beyond cars.

When the word Ferrari is mentioned, the imagination is instantly transported to the image of roaring engines, stunning design, and engineering excellence that has enthralled the globe for generations. But in the last few years, the legendary Italian name has been shifting gears, transferring its legacy from the road to the luxury realm of high fashion, bringing its signature blend of speed and style to the fashion world.

Despite consistently defying market trends with record earnings of $1.65 billion USD (~$2.6 billion AUD) in 2024 and maintaining exclusive production levels of about 13,650 vehicles annually, Ferrari recognised an opportunity to evolve.

The brand’s expansion into the luxury fashion industry was not another merchandising ploy — it was a strategic effort to engage the next generation of Ferrari enthusiasts, with the same level of attention to detail that defines their motor vehicle expertise. And with the news that the sport’s most successful driver in history is lining up in 2025, Ferrari’s new frontman is expertly guiding the Scuderia into a global luxury powerhouse.

From Racetrack to Runway

Ferrari’s accelerated push into fashion made history in June 2021 with an unprecedented runway show at their V12 assembly lines in Maranello. Under the creative direction of Rocco Iannone, who had stints at Armani, Dolce & Gabbana, and Pal Zileri, the brand has carved its own unique character that connects the DNA of racing and high fashion aesthetics. CEO Benedetto Vigna articulates the strategy clearly:

“For us it is important because we have to nurture the next generation of Ferraristi. There will be people that can afford to [spend] €300,000-€500,000 on a car, and there are people that instead want to be attached to the brand, [through] something that is elegant, not a merchandise look.”

Inspiration and Influences

With no fashion archives in the classical sense to draw upon, Director Iannone sought inspiration in the most improbable places, like photographs of Italian cinema icons such as Anna Magnani and Monica Vitti driving Ferraris in the 1960s. The outcome has been collections that reference Ferrari’s car heritage while establishing a distinct fashion identity.

In 2023, the brand’s Spring/Summer Collection included Ferrari’s iconic colours — Rosso Le Mans and Giallo Modena — alongside new summer hues of pale blue, khaki, and earth tones. High-end materials like silk, cotton, lacquered wool, jersey, and glove leather reflect Italian quality and sustainability. And their 2025 Pre-Fall 2025 Collection continued to distil this vision with visionary pieces like pink pleated leather skirts and technically innovative polo shirts in flocked pique jerseys.

Ferrari’s fashion collection consists of puffer jackets and hoodies with their iconic logo, which are very popular among young fans. Their skirts and capes are fashionable and made of silk and organza in classic colours of white, red, and yellow. A line of accessories, including sunglasses, phone holders, and a mini-handbag, is perfect for finishing any look with a touch of Ferrari style.

Ferrari fashion apparel also walked its way down Milan Fashion Week, where its clothing shared the top spot with its legendary automobiles. Whether through their cars or their luxury apparel, Ferrari is continuing to make its presence felt in the world and ensure that it is a brand of excellence in both the automotive and fashion industries.

Lewis Hamilton Joins Ferrari

Formula 1’s most decorated driver Lewis Hamilton shocked the grid at the beginning of the 2024 season, announcing he would be swapping Mercedes for the Scuderia in pursuit of his record-breaking seventh WDC title. It was a bold move, to say the least. But one with objectives outside of the grid, in mind.

Hamilton’s risky fashion sense has always been a hot topic of discussion – his raceday fits have inspired a new era of F1 away from the traditional boys club of the 20th century and into a global lifestyle brand capable of capturing the zeitgeist far beyond motorsport.

Ferrari, already three years into its bold push into high fashion, won’t just gain a world-class driver in Hamilton – they’ll gain a style icon with the cultural cachet to elevate the brand’s off-track identity, demanding attention from the 1.6 billion motorsport fans that tune into each and every Grand Prix across the globe.

Hamilton’s move was more than defining a racing legacy. His influence and image will have been intrinsically linked to Ferrari’s vision of the future, and, quite possibly, to become the creative force behind Ferrari’s evolution from a carmaker into a luxury powerhouse.