Lewis Hamilton joins elite global fashion industry list as part of 2023 class

Lewis Hamilton has been inducted into the Business of Fashion 500 as part of its class of 2023, which celebrates “people shaping the global fashion industry of today and tomorrow.”

The seven-time World Champion is one of 100 people to have been inducted into the global fashion publication’s list of influential people this year, which was launched in 2013 as the “definitive index” of people shaping the fashion industry.

Hamilton is one of the members of the Class of 2023 that will be celebrated at a gala in Paris on Saturday, with the Mercedes driver being credited as “instrumental” in combining the world of Formula 1 with fashion.

Sir Lewis Hamilton inducted into BoF 500 in its Class of 2023

Hamilton has long been known for having his passions away from the track and bringing them into the paddock with him, music and fashion being key among them.

He was key in forging a partnership between Mercedes and designer brand Tommy Hilfiger, with Hamilton being a brand ambassador and launching a collaboration with Hilfiger during New York Fashion Week back in 2018.

汉密尔顿曾帮助生长公式1’s global appeal, as well as bringing it closer to the world of fashion with this latest honour – with Ferrari driverCharles Leclerc having revealed back in 2020that he hopes to follow in Hamilton’s footsteps one day and foray into the fashion world.

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“Sir Lewis Hamilton is a record-breaking British racing driver in Formula 1. Beyond his success on the track, where he remains the sport’s first and only Black driver, he has been instrumental in raising his sport’s global profile and deepening its ties to fashion,” Business of Fashion’s biography of Hamilton reads.

“After a Hugo Boss runway show sparked his interest in fashion as a means of self-expression, Hamilton made a name for himself as a fashion trendsetter, embracing daring and avant-garde looks that have grabbed the attention of fans and media.

“Hamilton has used the attention he receives to promote causes he believes in, pushing for greater diversity in F1 both on the track and behind the scenes, and taking the knee before every race in the 2020 Formula 1 season in support of the Black Lives Matter movement.”

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