Style’s love of the quick lane has all the time been obvious. From Louis Vuitton to Chanel to Diesel and extra, the luxurious style world has continued to have an affinity for motorsports — simply look to the “motorcore” pattern that soared in recognition since 2022, and LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton turning into a world associate of Method 1.
Over time, the latest Scuderia Ferrari driver, Lewis Hamilton, has proven as much as the paddock sporting full appears off the runway and has deeply entrenched himself on the planet of style. Now, different drivers are desirous to be a part of the racetrack runway.
Whereas Hamilton’s teammate Charles Leclerc doesn’t make use of a stylist full time, he works on a project-by-project foundation with Carlotta Fixed, a former British GQ and British Vogue style editor turned freelance stylist and inventive advisor who’s beforehand labored with David Beckham and Pharrell Williams.
Fixed styled Leclerc for the announcement photographs of his new international model ambassadorship with Chivas Regal (which is independently a Ferrari official workforce sponsor) — dressing the Monegasque driver in Simone Rocha, Intimissimi, Tom Ford, Saint Laurent, Reiss, Amiri, 1017 Alyx 9SM, The Row and Burberry while concurrently incorporating Leclerc’s long-term model ambassadorships with APM Monaco and Richard Mille.
One driver who has began to dip his toes deeper on the planet of style is Alex Albon, Atlassian Williams racing driver and founding father of the model AA23.
Alex Albon and Lily Muni He on the 2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Picture by Clive Mason/Getty Photographs
Beforehand, Albon’s girlfriend {and professional} golfer Lily Muni He — who is commonly seen across the paddock sporting the season’s most coveted items from Miu Miu, Prada, Coperni, Loewe and extra — would assist pull one thing appropriate for him.
However for this previous February’s F1 75 occasion on the O2 in London, it was lastly time to usher in an expert; the British Thai driver has needed to work with a stylist for some time now to “carry out [his] fashion a bit extra, with out making it really feel overdone.”
Albon now works with Equipment Swann, who beforehand labored at GQ Type as a junior style editor and now freelances as a stylist and who has dressed Adrian Brody, Sam Claflin and extra.
The 2 have been related by Loes Klinker, Albon’s head of social/digital artistic, who found Swann by way of Instagram and the duo determined he’d be the most effective match based mostly on his previous work.
Alex Albon carries a Goyard duffel bag and wears his personal AA23 model sneakers on the 2024 Belgian Grand Prix.
Picture by Clive Mason/Getty Photographs
Past making a search for Method 1’s anniversary celebration crimson carpet, Swann has additionally created a spring capsule assortment for Albon to put on all through the beginning of the 2025 season.
Albon instructed WWD he didn’t know what to anticipate for his first time working with a stylist however stated it was a “surprisingly enjoyable” expertise and realized they have been on the identical web page. Swann additionally loved the expertise of working with somebody newer to style to point out why he’s captivated with styling and why style is an fascinating medium for private fashion and style.
“Working with Alex is so nice as a result of it offers me the chance to point out him all of the manufacturers that I like working with, why I like working with them and makes me love what I do,” Swann stated.
When tasked with the capsule assortment, Swann checked out Albon’s Instagram to gauge his fashion. Albon and Klinker additionally created a brief temporary for Swann together with his private colours and match preferences, however they gave Swann room to brainstorm concepts that align with Albon’s sartorial sensibilities and likewise introduce him extra to the world of style.
Alex Albon sporting Onitsuka Tiger on the 2023 Brazil Grand Prix.
Picture by Kym Illman/Getty Photographs
“I went for manufacturers that have been up to date, minimal,” Swann continued. “Me and Alex each choose to have a method that’s extra on the minimal aspect. He was very open to listening to my concepts and open to making an attempt one thing new. I used to be very acutely aware in making an attempt to select issues that have been acceptable for him. I wouldn’t wish to scare him away and make him really feel daunted by having to put on one thing loopy and outlandish.”
After Swann reached out to manufacturers, the 2 had an in-person becoming the place Albon selected the items he gravitated towards essentially the most. The various international climate Albon travels to all year long performs the most important half in Albon’s choice course of, as does consolation.
Like many drivers, Albon typically wears his workforce package on race day or may be seen donning his personal clothes and footwear model, AA23. With this in thoughts, Swann additionally analyzed the Williams Racing shirt to verify the items complemented one another in the event that they have been blended collectively. After creating Albon’s capsule assortment, Swann additionally created a PDF file for Albon and his workforce of all of the clothes gadgets he had packed to have readily available.
Whereas Albon doesn’t fancy himself a method professional per se and views style as a solution to get outdoors of his consolation zone, he enjoys engaged on the artistic course of behind his clothes and shoe model, AA23. Lots of the retail drops from final yr showcased his persona by way of his fashion and gave followers differing types. He stated his model’s core vary is “simple fashion with out compromising on consolation.”
“My model AA23 is about constructing a stronger reference to my followers and making a group round it. It’s been a enjoyable course of to date and I’m excited to share extra of who I’m by way of it. I’m having fun with constructing out AA23 extra and hope to get the chance to work on some larger artistic, style collaborations with different designers quickly.”
Alex Albon wears Margaret Howell, John Smedley and J&M Davidson, styled by Equipment Swann, to the F1 75 occasion on the O2 in London.
Mark Thompson/Method 1 by way of Getty Photographs
One other issue to think about was interchangeability — Albon describes Swann’s curated assortment as “a rotating closet of mix-and-match gadgets that might be layered.”
This versatility is very crucial for Method 1 drivers for the reason that first races of the season in Australia, China, Japan, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia have excessive variability of their climates. Furthermore, Swann and Albon needed to focus on sustainability and longevity; Albon isn’t displaying as much as totally different race weekends in new garments each time as a result of his garments are made to final.
“The purpose of the wardrobe was for Alex to have eight to 10 appears that he might put on in the course of the season,” Swann stated. “This covers appears from arriving on race days and going for apply — in addition to on a regular basis strolling across the metropolis and having time to himself. For a lot of the season, he’s dwelling out of a few suitcases. It wanted to have a cohesive assortment of things that if he wakened and needed to rush off someplace, he might seize a T-shirt and a pair of trousers and know that they’re going to associate with nothing loopy to consider.”
Swann requested Albon for his favourite manufacturers to take into accounts but in addition needed to introduce ones inside his arsenal reminiscent of Burberry, Kaptain Sunshine, Our Legacy, Auralee, MFPen, Le Maire and different British designers. Lots of the clothes he highlighted and needed to share with Albon have been manufacturers that create high quality merchandise by way of lifeless inventory materials, upcycled supplies or bespoke tailoring.
A few of the manufacturers Albon enjoys sporting embody Loewe, Burberry, Tommy Hilfiger and Margaret Howell — which Swann launched him to — and he wore alongside fellow British manufacturers John Smedley and J&M Davidson to the F1 75 occasion.
“I see style extra as one thing that enables me to be artistic outdoors of racing. It’s cool to see increasingly style manufacturers combine themselves into Method 1 and motorsport typically. Extra drivers are stepping into style and dealing with manufacturers as a result of it’s one other solution to categorical your persona and join with followers on a unique stage. With how a lot Method 1 has grown as a sport there are extra artistic, collaborative alternatives on the market,” Albon stated.
