Lewis Hamilton and Dior Celebrate Afrofuturism With Latest Collection

After travelling across Africa, Lewis Hamilton found himself inspired to demonstrate the future of Black culture through sportwear and fashion. This idea led to the latest lifestyle capsule between the seven-time Formula One champion and Dior, creating a collection with distinct aesthetics and varied tailoring styles.

“The way we express ideas through art, science and philosophy is really special,” Hamilton says, emphasizing the way African cultures express ideas through colour and movement, which become central to the new collection. “Afrofuturism felt like the perfect lens to express this collection with.”

Afrofuturism is a concept introduced in the 1990s by American writer Mark Dery to define trends focused on Black literature and 1980s technoculture. Over time, the term has been adapted into a cultural aesthetic that examines the relationship between the African diaspora and scientific and technological themes. In Dior and Hamilton’s latest collaboration, this idea is manifested through multicolour designs, apparel with graphics, and a generous use of motifs.

Hamilton became Dior ambassador for the men’s collection in July 2024, collaborating with the maison as a guest designer to release a debut collection that focused on outerwear centred around winter sports.

For the latest capsule, Dior’s signature ideas seep into the designs, such as the oblique nylon jacket that comes without a lapel, making it fit somewhat like a cardigan. The short jacket is a more direct reinterpretation from the 1968 Miss Dior ready-to-wear line.

However, the most obvious intersection of Afrofuturism and the house’s lineage is the recurring motif of the leopard tweed, integrated in reversible plain-canvas hooded jackets. A distinct approach to tailoring ensures that the collection features silhouettes from oversized and boxy to trim and fitted.

A range of accessories add to the diversity of the collection. While derby shoes and work boots use velvet and canvas to give them a distinct look, sneakers mix gradients and colours with brighter tones to combine a traditional but futuristic appearance. The collection also offers a choice of sturdy bags and jewellery such as pendants, bracelets with multicoloured resin cabochons, and gold- and silver-finish brass earrings.

“Being authentic to your style and communicating yourself through clothing is such a powerful feeling. That’s what this collection embraces—an exploration of identity, versatility, and expression,” Hamilton says.

Photographs by Kenny Germé, courtesy of Dior. 

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