AMSTERDAM — It was mid-afternoon on a Wednesday, but the halls buzzed within Tommy Hilfiger’s headquarters. Hardly anyone working in person was at their desks unless absolutely necessary. Instead, employees crowded into the Bel Bar inside the Hudson Building, standing room flowing out into the halls and snaking around corners.
All in hopes of catching a glimpse of Lewis Hamilton and George Russell. Advertisement The Mercedes Formula One drivers are used to the fanfare, the iPhones popping up in the air and the thunderous applause. Only this time, the cheers for two F1 stars come from employees of one of the world’s leading fashion companies, whose founder has spent most of his life tied to their sport.
The Mercedes duo often wear ‘normal’ clothes around the paddock, sometimes sporting Tommy Hilfiger designs. Russell’s outfits usually reflect that of old money, choosing basics to mix and match, while Hamilton will choose bolder garments or pieces from collections. Their outfits that Wednesday were more classic and Tommy Hilfiger-forward.
Fashion and motorsports are influential global industries, but the driver wardrobes when trackside rarely extended beyond the standard F1 team kits until recent seasons. “F1 is a sexy sport, and the two worlds have a lot in common,” Hamilton said during the panel at Tommy Hilfiger’s Amsterdam headquarters ahead of the Dutch GP weekend. “But for some reason, for a long time, particularly when I got into the sport, no one was.