![Athletes are becoming fashion stars, opening up an opportunity for teams to invest in the fashion space.<br /><br />Follow me on Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/fashionroadman<br />My E-Book: https://www.thefashionarchivemag.com/shop<br />Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/fashionroadman<br />Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/30khAeSML8vrmhrbCL86Ca<br />Join My Fashion Discord: https://discord.gg/vW6vMz2eHq<br />Website: https://www.thefashionarchivemag.com/<br />Social Media: https://linktr.ee/fashionroadman<br />Join this channel to get access to perks:<br />https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVmPyrwjL0wepDhmvgzlOcA/join<br /><br />Donate To The Channel: https://monzo.me/odunayomichaelojo<br />___________________<br />MORE INFO<br />When seven-time world champion Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton left his Mercedes-Benz team for Scuderia Ferrari, Mercedes found itself in a vulnerable spot. Not only had they just lost their best driver on the track, but they lost the gravity of his cultural force off-track.<br />Hamilton has arguably become the biggest F1 star, with 39 million Instagram followers and partnerships with brands including Dior, Lululemon and Tommy Hilfiger. He’s one of the key facilitators for fashion getting involved in the high-tier racing class; now, Ferrari would bask in his glow. To move its cultural momentum forward, the Mercedes team had to come up with a plan. It quietly listed a “clothing executive” job, a hybrid styling and fashion partnerships role. By early 2025, Eleanor Coleman had been hired as the team’s first-ever styling and partnerships manager.<br />“The creation of the styling and partnerships manager role is part of a broader commercial strategy aimed at strengthening our fashion and brand partnerships,” says Richard Sander, chief commercial officer of the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One team. “While Lewis [Hamilton] was certainly a major reason for F1 embracing fashion, this role was conceived to ensure continuity and to further professionalise our approach to fashion, making it more strategic and impactful.”<br />What was once built around one star has now been absorbed into an organisational strategy — a safeguard against cultural drop-off and a way to scale fandom across the team. “While Lewis was key to our original approach, the platform he used to express his natural style was created in conjunction with the team here,” says Sander. That foundation is now being scaled for its other drivers, including George Russell and Kimi Antonelli, who have six million and one million Instagram followers, respectively. “We want to keep investing in fashion collaborations that resonate with our broader audience.”<br /><br />This shift in approach — making fashion a formal part of the commercial playbook — isn’t unique to F1. Across sports leagues, a similar move is underway.<br />In the NFL, stars like Joe Burrow and Saquon Barkley prove that fashion credibility is cultural credibility with real commercial value. Burrow’s stylist, Kyle Smith, reported that the quarterback’s appearance in a backless Peter Do suit at Vogue World in 2024 generated $20 million in media impact value (the monetary value of posts, article mentions and social media interactions). The moment was orchestrated by Smith, who was recently named the NFL’s fashion editor, underscoring just how much stylists can elevate the visibility and commercial impact for both fashion brands and athletes. Pierre Mahéo, creative director of Parisian label Officine Générale, saw retail impact after Super Bowl champion Barkley was styled in the brand by Joshua McPherson. “Seeing the fresh faces in sports [who are] influencing American style has been interesting. Our men’s customer in the States finds inspiration in different places than Europe, and I love to see how Saquon has worn the brand and the stores saw interest in the pieces,” Mahéo says.<br /><br />Courtney Mays, who has worked with four-time WNBA champion Sue Bird and New York Liberty forward Breanna Stewart for several years, told Vogue Business that brands choosing to work directly with experienced stylists involved in the women’s basketball league would help them to “truly understand what representing these athletes authentically actually means”.<br />Smith says that the right fashion moments don’t just expand a player’s cultural reach — they open new demographics for teams and leagues, alike. “I always say [to NFL athletes], what was the first concert you went to, and do you have a T-shirt from it? And then when you wear that Sade T-shirt, now you have a new fan that maybe wasn’t your fan before,” he explains. This psychological connection allows for prospective fans to see “a bit of themselves in the league, and that starts their fan journey with football, with that player”.<br /><br />#fashion #luxuryfashion #sports #stylists](https://melanatenow.com/wp-content/plugins/youtube-feed-pro/img/placeholder.png)
Athletes are becoming fashion stars, opening up an opportunity for teams to invest in the fashion space.
Follow me on Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/fashionroadman
My E-Book: https://www.thefashionarchivemag.com/shop
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/fashionroadman
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/30khAeSML8vrmhrbCL86Ca
Join My Fashion Discord: https://discord.gg/vW6vMz2eHq
Website: https://www.thefashionarchivemag.com/
Social Media: https://linktr.ee/fashionroadman
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https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVmPyrwjL0wepDhmvgzlOcA/join
Donate To The Channel: https://monzo.me/odunayomichaelojo
___________________
MORE INFO
When seven-time world champion Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton left his Mercedes-Benz team for Scuderia Ferrari, Mercedes found itself in a vulnerable spot. Not only had they just lost their best driver on the track, but they lost the gravity of his cultural force off-track.
Hamilton has arguably become the biggest F1 star, with 39 million Instagram followers and partnerships with brands including Dior, Lululemon and Tommy Hilfiger. He’s one of the key facilitators for fashion getting involved in the high-tier racing class; now, Ferrari would bask in his glow. To move its cultural momentum forward, the Mercedes team had to come up with a plan. It quietly listed a “clothing executive” job, a hybrid styling and fashion partnerships role. By early 2025, Eleanor Coleman had been hired as the team’s first-ever styling and partnerships manager.
“The creation of the styling and partnerships manager role is part of a broader commercial strategy aimed at strengthening our fashion and brand partnerships,” says Richard Sander, chief commercial officer of the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One team. “While Lewis [Hamilton] was certainly a major reason for F1 embracing fashion, this role was conceived to ensure continuity and to further professionalise our approach to fashion, making it more strategic and impactful.”
What was once built around one star has now been absorbed into an organisational strategy — a safeguard against cultural drop-off and a way to scale fandom across the team. “While Lewis was key to our original approach, the platform he used to express his natural style was created in conjunction with the team here,” says Sander. That foundation is now being scaled for its other drivers, including George Russell and Kimi Antonelli, who have six million and one million Instagram followers, respectively. “We want to keep investing in fashion collaborations that resonate with our broader audience.”
This shift in approach — making fashion a formal part of the commercial playbook — isn’t unique to F1. Across sports leagues, a similar move is underway.
In the NFL, stars like Joe Burrow and Saquon Barkley prove that fashion credibility is cultural credibility with real commercial value. Burrow’s stylist, Kyle Smith, reported that the quarterback’s appearance in a backless Peter Do suit at Vogue World in 2024 generated $20 million in media impact value (the monetary value of posts, article mentions and social media interactions). The moment was orchestrated by Smith, who was recently named the NFL’s fashion editor, underscoring just how much stylists can elevate the visibility and commercial impact for both fashion brands and athletes. Pierre Mahéo, creative director of Parisian label Officine Générale, saw retail impact after Super Bowl champion Barkley was styled in the brand by Joshua McPherson. “Seeing the fresh faces in sports [who are] influencing American style has been interesting. Our men’s customer in the States finds inspiration in different places than Europe, and I love to see how Saquon has worn the brand and the stores saw interest in the pieces,” Mahéo says.
Courtney Mays, who has worked with four-time WNBA champion Sue Bird and New York Liberty forward Breanna Stewart for several years, told Vogue Business that brands choosing to work directly with experienced stylists involved in the women’s basketball league would help them to “truly understand what representing these athletes authentically actually means”.
Smith says that the right fashion moments don’t just expand a player’s cultural reach — they open new demographics for teams and leagues, alike. “I always say [to NFL athletes], what was the first concert you went to, and do you have a T-shirt from it? And then when you wear that Sade T-shirt, now you have a new fan that maybe wasn’t your fan before,” he explains. This psychological connection allows for prospective fans to see “a bit of themselves in the league, and that starts their fan journey with football, with that player”.
#fashion #luxuryfashion #sports #stylists