Lewis Hamilton, the seven-time Formula 1 champion known for his bold style, has unveiled a new Dior capsule collection that puts Afrofuturism in the fashion spotlight. This latest collaboration between Hamilton and Dior Men’s director Kim Jones fuses the racer’s African heritage and futuristic vision into high-fashion pieces. The result is an in-depth exploration of Black futurism through luxury menswear, a visually striking capsule and culturally significant capsule.
At its core, Afrofuturism is a cultural aesthetic that merges the African diaspora’s heritage with science fiction and technology to imagine new futures. It has long been a way for Black creatives to reclaim narratives and project empowered visions of tomorrow. Marvel’s Black Panther, for example, gave mainstream audiences a vibrant glimpse of Afrofuturist style and “provided the mainstream with a visual language” for an African-inspired future.
Hamilton’s capsule taps into this movement’s ethos. In 2024, after an extensive journey through Morocco, Senegal, Mozambique, Benin, and Madagascar, Hamilton was deeply moved by the “incredible stories” he encountered across Africa, which “inspired me to imagine the future of Black culture.”
In a statement to WWD, he explained that the way Black stories are told through art, science and philosophy sparked ideas of vibrant futures: “Seeing these ideas brought to life through colour and movement inspired me.”
By grounding the collection in these experiences, Hamilton and Dior approach Afrofuturism not as a gimmick but as an authentic creative framework rooted in personal and cultural history.
From the outset, Kim Jones and Hamilton aligned on celebrating African heritage and cutting-edge innovation. “A love of nature, a desire to celebrate Africa and an interest in artisanal processes and techniques” inform each piece, Jones noted of their design process. Hamilton drew direct inspiration from his African roots, incorporating traditional materials and crafts in a forward-looking way. “Focusing on conscious choices with each piece while drawing inspiration from my African roots such as the fabrics, natural materials and vibrant colours – has been incredibly inspiring,” Hamilton said of the design journey. This ethos is woven into the collection’s fabric: Dior’s team worked with heritage artisans to include hand-crafted African textiles alongside the house’s classic materials. Even in an earlier winter-themed capsule, the duo blended “classic Dior tweeds and contemporary African weaves” with technical ski textiles and recycled fabrics.
That same dialogue between tradition and futurism carries into the new Afrofuturist line, now geared for a summer release. One of the standout motifs in the collection is a striking leopard-print tweed splashed across relaxed shorts, a matching blouson jacket, and a hooded overshirt. According to Dior, the tweed exemplifies “where Afrofuturism and Dior historicism ultimately meet”. The leopard print nods to Dior’s archives (the house has famously used leopard spots as a classic motif since the 1950s) while evoking Africa’s natural beauty and power. By reimagining it in a textured tweed for casual silhouettes, the design connects the heritage of a luxury Maison with a futurist, cross-cultural twist.
Beyond the leopard tweed pieces, the capsule is rich with juxtaposition and detail. Hamilton’s eclectic styling sensibilities are evident in the roomy tailoring of suits and trousers, which he pairs with rugged workwear boots and even bucket hats. This mix of elegance and utility reflects the collection’s ethos of versatility. Soft knitwear featuring graphic, almost sci-fi geometric patterns in vibrant pinks, blacks, and whites adds another Afrofuturist touch, bringing to mind a retro-futuristic aesthetic. As hinted in the first Dior x Hamilton campaign, the colour palette balances exuberance with restraint, think pops of electric blue, sunset orange, or neon pink against grounded neutrals. In one look, a sleeveless intarsia sweater with abstract zig-zag motifs is paired with leopard tweed Bermuda shorts and chunky boots, capturing the high-contrast harmony this capsule pursues. Each ensemble seems to tell a story: past and future, couture and street, in conversation.
A notable aspect of this capsule is how it marries performance innovation with the Afrofuturist theme. Dior describes the collection as “celebrating performance, excellence and innovation while demonstrating virtuoso accomplishments in terms of sustainability.”
In practice, that means many pieces are crafted with eco-conscious materials: recycled denim and fleece, organic cotton, and responsibly sourced textiles, as reported by industry observers. High-tech elements are seamlessly integrated, a legacy of the first capsule’s winter sports focus, where Japanese-engineered ski wear and even custom snowboards appeared. In this Afrofuturist edition, the technical influence shows up in lighter ways: modern streetwear cuts, breathable meshes, and accessories built for durability all nod to the “power and energy of motorsports” that Hamilton wanted to infuse. Even the number 44, a hallmark of Hamilton’s racing career, inspired the design of a sneaker (the Dior B44) in the earlier collection, hinting at how personal narrative threads through the design process.
Critically, the intersection of fashion and Black futurism in Hamilton’s capsule is aesthetic and ideological. Afrofuturism in fashion often means creating space for Black identity in futuristic narratives, and here, Hamilton uses style to envision a forward-looking inclusivity. “Being authentic to your style and communicating yourself through clothing is such a powerful feeling,” Hamilton said, emphasizing that this collection is about “an exploration of identity, versatility and expression.” By engaging directly with Dior’s ateliers, he ensured those values were woven into each garment. The house notes that Hamilton struck “the right balance between the power and energy of motorsports and the exceptional finesse of French and international savoir-faire” in this dialogue. In other words, the collection is as much about technical excellence and craftsmanship as it is about cultural storytelling.
Industry reception to Hamilton’s Dior capsule has been enthusiastic, seeing it as a meaningful convergence of luxury fashion and cultural narrative. WWD, which first broke news of the Afrofuturism theme, highlighted that the capsule “reveals something more personal” beyond Hamilton’s sporting life. The collaboration itself signals Dior’s commitment to diversity and innovation, having a Black British athlete as a guest designer exploring Black futurist themes is a notable moment for the luxury house. Forbes described Hamilton’s debut line for Dior as “historically, contemporarily and personally poignant,” rooted in his African ancestry
, suggesting that this venture goes beyond surface-level trends to strike an emotional chord. Critics have praised the capsule’s cohesive vision: rather than a celebrity merch line, it is a thoughtful fusion of Dior’s couture legacy with Hamilton’s contemporary perspective. The collection’s ability to bridge couture and streetwear, past and future, hasn’t gone unnoticed.
Hamilton’s foray into fashion also arrives at a culturally significant time. He was recently named a co-chair of the 2025 Met Gala for an exhibition themed “Tailoring Black Style” – a testament to his growing influence in championing Black excellence in fashion. In 2021, he famously bought a Met Gala table to spotlight emerging Black designers, and now, with this Dior collaboration, he’s advancing that conversation within one of fashion’s most storied brands. As one of the first significant luxury capsules explicitly channeling Afrofuturism, the collection is part of a broader movement celebrating Black creativity on the global stage.
