Dior Homme to drop capsule collection with new brand ambassador Lewis Hamilton

British F1 pilot Lewis Hamilton, who has previously associated with, among others, Tommy Hilfiger and watch brand IWC, has now been signed up by a major luxury label. Seven-time F1 world champion Hamilton has been named brand ambassador for Dior‘s menswear and, as “guest designer,” he has worked alongside the label’s Creative Director Kim Jones to develop a lifestyle capsule collection centred around skiing, snowboarding and other board sports.

 
Hamilton, who is set to change F1 team next year, switching from Mercedes to Ferrari, and British designer Jones, have known and mutually appreciated each another for some years. They also share a love of Africa – Jones for having grown up there, and Hamilton after discovering the continent during a trip. They have decided that Africa should be the collection’s theme, and have tapped fabric weavers from Burkina Faso, while paying a great deal of attention to the collection’s sustainability.

“We share a love of nature, the desire to celebrate Africa, and a passion for the techniques and creative methods that link African artists with the expertise of Dior’s ateliers. In addition, this collection also reflects Lewis’s sporting spirit, his unrivalled ability, and our striving for excellence combined with functionality and an unwavering eye for details,” said Jones in a press release.

The collection is both elegant and functional, and will be commercialised from October 17 in the stores and on the e-shop of the LVMH group’s star label. It will include skiing trousers and jackets made in high-performance Japanese fabrics, jeans, knitwear, sweaters, sweatshirts and fleeces made partly with bio-sourced and recycled fabrics, and casual tweed suits.

The accessories comprise eyewear, helmets, backpacks and mini messenger bags, snow-proof sneakers and brogues, hats and gloves. Dior said that none of the products contain leather.
 
“Working with Kim and his talented team at Dior was my absolute dream,” said Hamilton. “Our values and ideas are complementary, which made it easier to create a unique collection embodying our shared experiences. Making responsible choices while pushing the boundaries of excellence for each item, drawing from my African roots – notably fabrics made with natural materials, with vibrant colours and a powerful energy – all of this has been an important source of inspiration,” added Hamilton, who also has his own apparel brand.