In addition to his seven Formula 1 world championship wins and numerous record-breaking racing stats, Lewis Hamilton is perhaps equally well known for his philanthropy and his excellent fashion sense. While there have been plenty of fashionable F1 drivers over the years, none have come close to Hamilton’s swag both in the paddock and outside of racing in general. In addition to his own fashion line, he’s a brand ambassador and has designed capsule collections for the likes of Dior and Tommy Hilfiger, and he’s a constant presence at fashion shows and events around the world, not to mention his many magazine spreads, social media posts, and other endeavors.
Just 24 hours after placing eighth at the Miami Grand Prix on Sunday, Hamilton was in New York City for the annual Met Gala, his eighth time at the glamorous fundraising event for the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute. But this time, instead of simply walking the red carpet, Hamilton was one of the event’s co-chairs alongside A$AP Rocky, Colman Domingo, Pharrell Williams, and, of course, Anna Wintour.
Fashion helped Lewis become the person he is today
This year’s theme is “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style,” an ode to Black dandyism. Hamilton’s look for the event was a fantastic ivory suit designed by Grace Wales Bonner, which took months to develop along with Hamilton and his stylist Eric McNeal. They were inspired by the Harlem Renaissance, specifically singer Cab Calloway, and the outfit has all sorts of symbolic details like cowrie shells and baobab flowers that are a nod to Hamilton’s heritage.
In an interview for Vogue on the blue carpet, Hamilton said co-chairing this year’s Met Gala was an extension of the 2021 event, when he bought a table (which run around $300,000) and invited young Black designers to attend. After that, he had conversations with Wintour about how the Met could grow and evolve, and when she told him the theme for this year’s event and asked him to be a co-chair he was “so, so excited [and] incredibly honored.”
“When I was younger I really felt like I had to conform, particularly in the world that I compete in — my father and I are the only people of color there, so there was this real pressure to conform,” Hamilton said. “As I got older I realized that I found my sense of self, I got confident from wearing fashion and how you can express yourself through what you’re wearing. Fashion’s really helped me become the person I am today.”