When Lewis Hamilton was announced as Dior’s brand ambassador in July this year, it probably came as a shock to no one. The multiple Formula 1 record holder—the man has the most career wins and world championship titles to date—isn’t just a blur on the racetrack, he’s quite the snazzy dresser off of it. Specifically, Hamilton had been spotted wearing Dior Men on multiple occasions while making the F1 Grand Prix circuit this season.
Brand ambassadorships are a well-established concept that works. But at the rate persons of note are being conferred the title, it’s nigh impossible to keep track of who’s affiliated to which brand. What is rare, however, is a brand ambassador whois more than just a physical embodiment of what a brand represents.
Hamilton seems to have a knack for taking his involvement with fashion brands a step further than the norm. With Tommy Hilfiger, Hamilton co-created four TommyXLewis capsule collections from 2018 to 2020, imbuing his own personal sense of style to that of the American brand. And now at Dior Men, he’s charging ahead with a capsule collection designed together with artistic director Kim Jones.
“Working with Kim and the talented team at Dior has been a dream, and I was honoured when Kim asked if I’d like to do this with him. Our values and ideas are aligned, making it easy to bring to life a creative collection infused with our shared experiences,” Hamilton expresses.
The new Dior Men Lifestyle Capsule collection is not F1 , or even racing-related, because that would be far too predictable and Hamilton is a multi-faceted individual. Instead, the collection revolves around skiing and snowboarding as a personal celebration of Hamilton’s love for an outdoor-centric winter lifestyle. He’s an adrenaline junkie and has a love for extreme sports aside from motorsports.
“We share a love of nature, a desire to celebrate Africa and an interest in the artisanal processes and techniques that unite craftspeople in Africa with the savoir-faire of the Dior ateliers. Added to that, this collection also reflects Lewis’ sporting side, his virtuosity and our functionality,” says Jones.
In many ways, the Lifestyle Capsule collection is a global effort. African-inspired motifs are incorporated within the collection (Jones grew up in African countries in his early years), adding vibrancy to technical functionalities. African weaves made in Burkina Faso, for example, have been crafted into casual suiting by the Dior ateliers, and custom snowboards by Switzerland-based Factory 9 feature Dior branding set against graphic African-inspired motifs. The collection’s technical skiwear by Japanese sportswear brand Descente too are made to withstand the harsh cold conditions on the slopes. The expertise rendered by these different “global ateliers” all ensure that not only do the pieces look exceptional and on par with Dior’s craftsmanship, but that they also function on the same level.
Hamilton has taken it a step further by pushing the boundaries of the Dior ateliers in ensuring that sustainability isn’t an afterthought to the creation of the collection. Having been on a plant-based diet since 2017, Hamilton insisted that no animal leather is to be used for any of the pieces in the Lifestyle Capsule collection. He’s pushed for more conscious choices in terms of materiality. The collection’s ready-to-wear such as slouchy denims, knitwear, and fleeces are made partly using organic or recycled textiles. A micro-fibre snow shoe, the Dior Snow derby, has been designed to serve as a casual pair of footwear while simultaneously being capable of performing on the slopes over a snowboard—a cleverly designed versatile pair.
These new touches serve to enhance the collection while retaining the essence of a Kim Jones Dior Men collection. The B44 Blade sneaker is a new addition to Jones’ expanding sneaker offerings for Dior Men. Conceptualised with a decidedly 2000s silhouette in mind, it’s undoubtedly sporty in its allure and rendered in tasteful gradations of colours. It’s too early to say if the design will become a mainstay for Dior Men but it definitely fits in with the existing Dior Men universe.
In an interview with WWD, Jones hints that there will be more to come. “This is almost like a taste, and then we get into bigger collections,” he said of the partnership with Hamilton. And to that, we’ll just have to wait and see what comes next, because this collection, in essence, is quite a game-changer for a house like Dior.
