The long history between Tommy Hilfiger and the Formula 1

In the 1960s and 1970s, a still young Tommy Hilfiger took the first steps of his journey on the wave of his passions. Even as a boy, the designer from Elmira - a small town in upstate New York - was fascinated by fashion and pop culture, especially the style and looks of the rock stars of the time, but he nurtured another passion: for engines and car racing. "As a boy, I was totally immersed in the world of cars and racing," said the American designer, recounting his visits to Formula One races held at the time at the Watkins Glen Grand Prix Race Course, not far from his hometown, and his excitement at the palpable energy and electric atmosphere that accompanied the event.

But while his small hometown offered him the opportunity to easily attend this prestigious event, he did not have the open-mindedness to accept the typical rock star outfits whose style Tommy loved so much. So the boy took 150 dollars, got into his car and set off for New York. Once there, he bought 20 pairs of bell-bottom jeans and sold them from his Volkswagen Beetle to Elmira; shortly after, he opened People's Place, his first shop. In 1985, he moved to New York for good and launched the garments of his first collection, which have become classics of the brand today. In the years that followed, Tommy Hilfiger became the face of the new American fashion, combining preppy style with the first contacts with streetwear, all under the impetus of a philosophical engine capable of circling pop culture, fashion, art, music and sport. Thus the circle that had opened 10 years earlier at the Watkins Glen Grand Prix racetrack was closed, and at Tommy Hilfiger the world of racing merged with that of fashion.

Out of his firm belief that Formula 1 is at the heart of pop culture, a partnership was formed with Lawrence Stroll - a billionaire active in the fashion world and now co-owner and Executive Chairman of Aston Martin in Formula 1 - who is a huge car enthusiast and Ferrari collector. Tommy Hilfiger then began to embody Stroll's vision that this partnership would open the doors to the international market for the brand and open new avenues in the fashion and sports industries. in 1991, Tommy Hilfiger sponsored Mika Hakkinen and Alex Zanardi's Lotus with customised racing suits that mixed the fashion brand's representative colours with those of the racing team.

In general, over time, the designer was convinced of the profitability of this investment, which represented a key moment in the company's development and an exceptional showcase in terms of branding. He also gave space to numerous bespoke campaigns and a capsule collection inspired by motorsport, which combined Formula 1 and fashion with his third great love: Monaco. Indeed, the response he elicited in the aftermath was incredible, from Snoop Dogg looks to a major partnership with the NFL. Later, in 1998, when Formula 1 was experiencing its biggest surge in popularity, another four-year sponsorship deal with Ferrari came about, again at Stroll's instigation, with the American brand designing the official team and driver uniforms during the years of Michael Schumacher and the Rossa empire.

The signing of the deal with Ferrari was simply a farewell between Formula 1 and Tommy Hilfiger - who, however, has not distanced himself from the sport in general, but continues to have sponsorship deals with world-class athletes such as Thierry Henry and Rafael Nadal. The two met again in 2018, under the banner of the Mercedes-AMG team and thanks to the intercession of Lewis Hamilton. Indeed, it was the British superstar who formed one of the most solid alliances in the fashion and sports industry with Tommy Hilfiger: Hamilton was appointed global ambassador and has contributed to no less than five 'Tommy X Lewis' collections, actively involved in the design of the capsules

Even today, or rather especially today, according to Tommy Hilfiger, the Formula 1 universe is something incredibly interesting and bursting with energy, much like rock concerts and one of the most shining examples of this is the Miami Grand Prix. For the event that brings Formula 1 back to the US, Tommy Hilfiger has launched a collaboration with one of the strongest streetwear brands of the moment, Awake NY. Angelo Baque, founder and designer of the brand, revealed that he is a huge Lewis Hamilton fan and Formula 1 enthusiast and could not pass up the opportunity to incorporate his style, values and vision of the world and fashion into the collection.

The Tommy x Mercedes-AMG F1 x Awake NY collection features seven garments, each referencing vintage racing looks with a quintessentially New York streetwear approach. These include a classic baseball jersey that references American style, while a T-shirt celebrating the Miami Grand Prix is available in pink, electric blue and black. The shirts feature the Mercedes-AMG drivers' race numbers, including Hamilton's 44 and George Russell's 63, while a touching tribute piece from Awake NY honours the founding of Tommy Hilfiger with the number 85. The colour palette combines Hilfiger's signature red, white and blue with that of the Mercedes-AMG team: black, white and volt green. It's a match that celebrates the growing interest in Formula 1, including overseas, and Tommy Hilfiger's role in bringing the lifestyle aspect of the world's fastest sport.