Fashion loves Formula 1.
In the last year, the number of sponsorships between brands and teams, drivers and the sport itself has skyrocketed. Many of these fashion brands have used their partnerships as their first foray into sports — all in a bid to tap into the cultural zeitgeist and capture Formula 1’s fast-growing younger and increasingly women demographic.
The exponential growth of sports’ popularity amongst women continues to shape not only Formula 1, but the entire global landscape with their spending power. According to an NIQ report from earlier this year, $31.8 trillion of global spending from this year is controlled by women — and estimates that within the next five years, 75 percent of discretionary spending will be driven by women across the world.
Here, WWD looks at the top-performing Formula 1 fashion sponsorships from 2024, using data insights from Trendalytics. The list ranks by popularity metrics through social media, brand engagement and the percentage of collaborations being sold out by retailers.
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Notably, brands who didn’t make the list include Tommy Hilfiger, Puma, Dior and Louis Vuitton — according to Trendalytics, these brands’ failure to sustain meaningful traction on social media combined with accessibility issues to the consumer were the main motivations behind their omissions.
While Formula 1 remains a sport associated with luxury, its reach has become vast — the majority of spectators who tune in to watch a race on Sunday will never attend a Grand Prix in their life — making the consumer’s financial ties to the sport that much more of a key element of the Formula 1 fan experience.
Abercrombie & Fitch
Topping off the list, Abercrombie & Fitch has stood out amongst the Formula 1 partnerships for its accessible clothing for consumers. Marking their first collaboration at the beginning of 2024, Abercrombie invited press and influencers alike to its Fifth Avenue flagship with its licensed graphic hoodies, jackets and T-shirts on display alongside McLaren’s 2024 race car.
The collaboration with McLaren’s racing team can be purchased for as little as $15 — bridging the gap and making the collab that much more attainable for racing fans.
Moreover, Abercrombie teamed up with McLaren to do a sweepstakes on TikTok, as part of their ongoing partnership. The giveaway winnings included tickets to the 2024 Miami Grand Prix, hotel and airfare, a 2024 signed replica helmet from driver Lando Norris and $500 worth of products from the Abercrombie x McLaren collection.
In turn, Abercrombie’s social media prominence climbed with engagement soaring by 4,432 percent as compared to the clothing brand’s yearly engagement average.
Reiss
Reiss signed a multiyear contract with McLaren’s Formula 1 team in May 2023 — their first sports partnership. The London-based brand has made waves within the fashion scene with its outerwear and leather jackets being a popular item and having fan-favorite drivers Norris and Oscar Piastri front and center of its campaign.
The Reiss x McLaren collaboration launched this year and increased the brand’s engagement by 3,563 percent, as compared to the brand’s average yearly engagement.
The most popular items from the collaboration are the Reiss x McLaren F1 team camel/ecru leather varsity jacket, which is nearly 80 percent sold out at some retailers, and its oversize crewneck shirt which is 60 percent sold out at some retailers.
PacSun
In an official partnership with Formula 1, Pac Sun released its first iteration with the international motorsport itself in December 2023. Fast-forward to this year, the company has gone full throttle and released a series of successive collections — one of the key features that made it successful was its affordability for the broad audience.
Notably, the brand did activations not just at the race track, but in the cities where shoppers who were unable to attend the race could purchase the collaboration — making a genuine connection with their customers.
The Pac Sun Formula 1 x Jeff Hamilton jacket was one of the most popular of its slew of other collaborations — with a 1,933 percent increase in brand social media engagement contrasted with its yearly average engagement. Pac Sun’s Formula 1 x Italy Grand Prix mesh shorts and its Formula 1 McLaren flag T-shirt are more than 60 percent sold out by the retailer.
Tag Heuer
First reported by WWD, LVMH and Formula 1 have inked an unprecedented decade-long partnership that will encompass all aspects of the conglomerates’ luxury brands. And in doing so, Tag Heuer has replaced Rolex as the timekeeping sponsor for Formula 1 going into 2025 and beyond.
Over the years the Swiss watchmakers have partnered with Red Bull and have continued their legacy with Formula 1. Notably, the three-time World Champion Ayrton Senna was a prominent Tag Heuer ambassador up until his untimely crash and death. Since then, the brand has continued to pay homage to the legacy of Senna — releasing several watches with the Brazilian racer as inspiration for their racing collections.
Tag Heuer’s tribute social media post commemorating Senna on the anniversary of his death drove 3,224 percent of the brand’s social media engagement compared to the brand’s yearly average engagement.
Moreover, the brand continues to be a major influence in the wider motorsports racing space — a major moment was at the Indy500 with actress and model Madelyn Cline. A social media post celebrating the partnership drove an astounding 6,847 percent increase in the brand’s engagement compared to their average yearly engagement.
Palm Angels
Luxury streetwear brand Palm Angels’ partnership with the MoneyGram Haas team launched in 2023. The brand made a splash at the 2024 Miami Grand Prix where it dressed drivers Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hülkenberg in the paddock. This move led the brand to receive major media impact and gain wider influence in the racing space.
The company’s social media post promoting the Palm Angels and Alpinestars x MoneyGram Haas team jacket drove an 833 percent increase in engagement compared to Palm Angles’ yearly engagement average.
The brand’s MoneyGram Haas cotton T-shirt is a popular item with consumers — it’s currently stocked out by 20 percent at associated retailers.
Tumi
Tumi stands out as the only nonapparel brand to make the list, first announcing its partnership deal with McLaren in 2019 and launching during the 2020 season.
Since its initial collection, the brand has continued to tap into this partnership with yearly collaborations — Norris continues to be a major Reiss campaign headliner for McLaren’s 60th-anniversary capsule collection and more.
The brand has expanded upon its multiyear partnership with McLaren this year to encompass its Formula E and esports divisions — driving an increase of 985 percent engagement for the brand’s social media in comparison to its yearly average.
