Tommy Hilfiger is no stranger to F1. He’s followed the sport since childhood, and by the early ’90s his brand had officially collaborated with Team Lotus. Since then, Tommy Hilfiger has partnered with Ferrari and the Mercedes-AMG F1® Team. But in 2025, when the Cadillac Formula 1 Team joined the grid as the second American team, he knew it was important to be involved.
To celebrate the partnership, Tommy Hilfiger brought together talent including singer Manon Bannerman; actor Michael Rainey Jr., best known for his role on Power; Olympic gold medalist Suni Lee; and musician and actor Michael Cimino for a series of brand activations over the weekend. The brand also released exclusive Tommy Hilfiger x Cadillac Formula 1® Team merchandise, including a limited-edition Miami capsule collection available at Jungle Plaza in the Miami Design District.
Here, Hilfiger discusses the significance of Formula 1, why it’s important for his brand to be involved, and the role of “fashiontainment.”
Why did you want to partner with F1 and Cadillac Formula 1 Team? Have you always been interested in F1?
My love of Formula 1 started as a kid. I used to watch races through the fences at Watkins Glen, captivated by the thrill of the energy, speed and the undeniable cool of the uniforms. Since launching my brand, I always believed in fusing our campaigns and collections with pop culture, and I had a gut feeling Formula 1 was a sport with great potential. That led to our first partnership with Team Lotus in the early ’90s, and from there, we’ve worked with Ferrari, the Mercedes-AMG F1®️ Team, and now the Cadillac Formula 1®️ Team.
When we heard Cadillac Formula 1®️ Team was joining the grid, it was an opportunity we couldn't miss. Two iconic American brands coming together — it opened the door to do something new. We’re excited to bring our shared vision to a global audience, creating pieces that fuse vibrant design and bold innovation.
What do you think it does for the brand Tommy Hilfiger?
A powerful combination of scale and connection. Formula 1®️ is growing fast, bringing in new audiences — especially younger fans and more women — and that’s reshaping the energy around it. With the Cadillac Formula 1®️ Team, that scale is amplified by a joint instinct for fusing fashion and entertainment — what I call “fashiontainment”. From a cinematic docuseries fronted by Keanu Reeves to our own venture into cinema partnering with Apple’s F1®️ The Movie, we focus on storytelling that goes beyond the race, reinforcing our place at the intersection of fashion, entertainment, and sport.
At the same time, partnerships like these allow us to deepen our connection with consumers in a more personal way. Through our relationships with drivers as global ambassadors, we’re able to bring the brand into fans’ everyday lives authentically through how they show up, what they wear, and how they express themselves.
Talk about the collection and what you were trying to achieve?
Our approach is always Prep Made Current — rooted in classic American style, reimagined for today. Through our Fanwear collection with the Cadillac Formula 1 Team®️, we wanted to bring that perspective into the world of motorsports.
This partnership gives us the unique opportunity to define the team’s complete style expression, from team kit, travel wear, fanwear, replica and caps. Drawing from our longstanding connection to Formula 1®️, we’ve reinterpreted timeless design codes with a confident, contemporary edge. The result is a fresh take on trackside dressing — where craftsmanship, comfort and racing culture come together, shaped by a sense of belonging, self-expression and authenticity.
Can you describe some other moments when Tommy Hilfiger intersected with sports?
Our story with sports goes back to the beginning, when we created our iconic logo. Inspired by the language of sailing, we spelled out my initials — T, J, H, Thomas Jacob Hilfiger — through maritime flags. Since then, our journey has spanned a range of sports, from golf, tennis, soccer and skiing, and has been defined by partnerships with iconic athletes, including Rafael Nadal, Thierry Henry and Lewis Hamilton, each bringing their own influence and energy into the brand.
Today, sport is one of the most dynamic forces in pop culture. Our partnerships with the Cadillac Formula 1®️ Team, Liverpool FC and the U.S. SailGP Team each tap into different communities, rituals and identities. And we’ve just announced our newest ambassador, Travis Kelce, one of the most influential names in American Football and modern culture. What excites me most is how each of these worlds — every team and athlete — expresses style on their own terms. Our role is to bring that together through a single point of view that feels authentic, connected and globally relevant.
Do you have a favorite or most memorable moment?
The moments that stand out most are when you’re truly part of the culture. Working with Lewis Hamilton is a great example — dressing him for the paddock helped transform it into a runway and changed how people saw Formula 1®️ style.
But I’m always most excited about what’s next. Right now, we’re focused on bringing our vision for fanwear to life with the Cadillac Formula 1®️ Team — creating vibrant pieces fans can wear to show team pride. And having Travis Kelce as a Brand Ambassador is powerful — he’s a rare kind of icon who moves effortlessly across sport, entertainment and style. We’re bringing him into our world with our Fall 2026 campaign, seeing New York through my lens, into next year with our Spring 2027 campaign and a collaborative collection. Like I always say — the best is yet to come!
What is important to you right now with your brand?
Consistency is everything. We’ll always reimagine classic American style with a modern twist. That foundation keeps us recognizable, wherever we show up.
At the same time, we stay relevant by connecting with culture. We’ve always fused the worlds of F.A.M.E.S — Fashion, Art, Music, Entertainment and Sport — bringing them together in a way that is welcoming, optimistic and entertaining. Ultimately, it’s about inviting people into our world — a lifestyle of easy sophistication and Classic American Cool.
