9 May 2023 |
But you won’t be able to get your hands on it until next year.
In case you’ve been living under a rock for the past few years, high speed car racing is the hottest sport of the moment — and we don’t mean the heat in the driver’s seat! Thanks to shows on Netflix (Formula 1: Drive to Survive has a global TV audience of over 1.5 billion) and icons like Lewis Hamilton, the audience is now more diverse and younger. It’s safe to say that F1 is everyone’s pleasure with no guilt, which is why all eyes were on Miami this past weekend, as the city played host for the second year in a row. And to celebrate the occasion, sports brand Puma also announced that they’re the exclusive global collaborator on all of the merch at the races for the upcoming 2024 season.
Sparking a new era of innovation and style in the world of high-speed racing, this partnership is a longtime coming as the brand has a history with Formula 1. Back in the 80s, Puma developed fireproof overalls, race shoes and other racing gear for drivers and now they’re taking a step further with streetwear-inspired styles for fans. To celebrate the announcement of this partnership, Puma’s Chief Brand Officer, Adam Petrick invited streetwear fashion legends like stylist June Ambrose and Emory Jones of Roc Nation as well driver and television presenter Naomi Schiff to discuss how the worlds of motorsports and fashion overlap.
For Ambrose and Emory, the interplay between high speed racing and streetwear was always evident. “I remember back in the ’90s, in the 2000s, motorsport was a thing — music videos were taking inspiration from [that] culture,” Ambrose recalls. It only makes sense that the current takes cues from the past while also elevating the pieces for a new generation of fans and customers. While the focus may be on a female fan perspective at this panel, the pieces are designed to be gender neutral, like the biker shorts which were designed to fit men and women alike. As to which era Ambrose thinks is the best for style when it comes to motor racing, “When I created my visual mood boards for my Ferrari collection, I was drawn to the late 70s. The cut lines of the racing suits looked flattering on the body, I felt that this gave them a kind of femininity. The 70s was also a time when Gilles Villanueve was wearing the white suit and I loved this contrast between the suit and the red car – you can see how this inspired my Motorsport jumpsuit.”
The biggest takeaway? It’s not just for the boys as women are equally as interested in watching and even participating. Thanks to female drivers like Schiff as well as the F1 Academy, which promotes women in the sports, it’s a chance to change the dynamics of high speed racing. “We haven’t seen a woman behind the wheel of a Formula 1 car since 1976. As we start to create female role models for young women, through the likes of W Series Formula 1 Academy, [people will think] there’s a space for our young daughters to participate in a sport like this,” she said.
You’ll have to wait until 2024 to get your hands on Puma and F1 but here’s a sneak peak of what to expect.
