‘Motorsport in fashion: Who is driving it forward?’

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The fashion industry has always been a keen admirer of the automotive world, this is still very much the truth in the present day, with goliath brands like Hermes now producing special edition versions of cars for luxury manufacturers such as Bugatti - For as long as the two have co-existed, they have been cohesive factions. Turning sharply into a sub-genre of the automotive industry, motorsport has slowly been creeping into the slipstream of fashion. 

Of course, we’ve seen the chequered flag be emulated in almost every brand at some point in time, but the history of motorsport in fashion runs a lot deeper than that. We consider 5 of the most important moments for this new-age pairing, analysing the backstories and impact each of them have left to develop and redefine the world of fashion and motorsport.

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1 - Pharrell Williams’ Jeff Gordon Pepsi Jacket

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Never one to shy away from the limelight, Pharrell Williams is largely respected as a pioneer within fashion. It was during Radar Entertainment’s ‘Pepsi 500’ party in 2008 where a 34 year old ‘Skateboard P’ had all eyes on him. Arriving at the event sporting a Jeff Gordon Nascar jacket with a giant Pepsi logo pasted across the front of it. At the time, there was no other individual with celebrity status who was actively blending motorsport with fashion. This moment in fashion history is widely accepted to be the turning point to where the two cultures began to intertwine, as far as the noughties were concerned. Sure, there had always been a relationship between fast cars and fancy clothes, but for motorsport to poke it’s head out, this was certainly a first.

 

2 - Vanson Leathers ‘Bones’ Jacket

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The story of the Vanson ‘Bones’ jacket is fascinating – originating within ‘Flat Track Racing’, one of the oldest and most exciting forms of racing in the U.S. A handful of stone-cold speed demons piling round a slippery dirt track with no means of slowing down, at over one hundred miles an hour, this sport is not for the faint hearted. Enter legendary racer Dave Aldana and his ‘Bones’ suit. A custom, skeletal design allowed Aldana to stand out from the rest of the pack and strike fear into any rider who was unlucky enough to get in his way. The suit was almost banned from the sport as the skeleton design instigated violent, outlaw-ish connotations – this was until Aldana was officially sponsored by the iconic Vanson Leathers from 1984 to 1986 who revised the skeleton suit to create what is known as ‘Bones’. Vanson has since continued to develop and reimagine the ‘Bones’ suit, with the visual being adopted by hugely influential brands such as Supreme and Kapital in recent years. Subtle changes have been made, with the original design being instantly recognisable in every remake produced. The iconic visual of this jacket has proved to be an extremely valuable item to obtain in the world of streetwear, being extremely popular with a handful of rappers and athletes.

3 - Vetements Oversized Racing Bomber Jacket

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As with anything they do, Vetements have found an original, explosive way of taking a racing jacket and revising it so to fit their image. The Oversized Racing Bomber Jacket from Vetements had all the visual energy of a heavily-branded, specialised motor-cross jacket. Reminicent of a KTM racing jacket, the ‘VTM’ logos plastered across every inch of this piece made it a perfect contribution to the bonding of motorsport and fashion. Sitting pretty at an RRP of $1,757, this piece is certainly for a very specific audience – we see a fashion-driven petrolhead with a taste for designer goodies taking an interest in this piece. It is unsurprising to see Vetements take on a new frontier, with motorsport not being something they have necessarily ventured into before, but for a first attempt, they have perfectly encapsulated the essence of a racing jacket and heightened the crucial ingredients which are required.

4 - Stussy ‘Speedway Summer’ ‘18

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An iconic editorial and something which, since debuting, has been the headliner of every streetwear moodboard in existence, the 2018 Stussy ‘Speedway Summer’ capsule was the perfect marriage of motorsport and fashion in every aspect. Stussy being, well, Stussy, worked alongside racing driver Evan Clark to produce an exciting, original editorial which featured a legendary BMW ‘E46 M3’ sporting almost every original logo ever created by Shawn Stussy. This capsule reignited interest in motorsport for many cult followers of the brand, as well as producing some of the most sought after garments to be designed under the Stussy name. Unfortunately for fans, the racing helmet and racing overalls (of which were not short of branding) seemed to be purely a promotional set of items and thus see themselves condemned to the never-ending list of grail items curated by Stussy and their heavyweight streetwear accomplices.

5 – Palace and Mercedes AMG 

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Much like a magician pulling a rabbit from a hat, Palace continue to produce the unthinkable. This year is no exception, with their limited collection in partnership with Mercedes-Benz’s racing division, AMG. The capsule, titled ‘Get Sehr Fast’ showcases a collaboration which, to most, little to no logical sense. To us though, the more understanding individuals, it is clear to see how the skateboarding brand Palace blends together with motorsport legends AMG through their common interest in one thing – adrenaline-fueled activities. This capsule is reminiscent of that by Stussy, as mentioned moments ago, however the team at Palace have managed to take it one step further. The vehicle featured within their campaign short film, a Mercedes AMG GT3 with a full custom original palace ‘Sabretooth’ livery, will be competing in the ADAC TOTAL 24 hours race at the iconic Nürburgring.