Fresh off the Miami Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton made a striking entrance at the 2025 Met Gala in New York City—arriving just in time to walk the carpet alongside co-chairs Colman Domingo and Anna Wintour. For an evening dedicated to fashion as art and expression, Hamilton did far more than dress to impress—he made a statement.

Partnering with designer Grace Wales Bonner, the Formula 1 star wore a custom ivory ensemble that blended sartorial precision with deep cultural resonance. The look featured a cropped jacket, high-waisted trousers with tuxedo stripes, a coattail extension, an ivory bow tie, and an embroidered sash, all topped with a beret by Stephen Jones Millinery. The result? A visual narrative of elegance, heritage, and intention.

Hamilton, long known for his interest in fashion, drew inspiration from a wide range of icons—Muhammad Ali, Michael Jordan, Eddie Murphy, Cab Calloway, James Baldwin, Nelson Mandela, and André Leon Talley—figures whose self-presentation communicated confidence, intelligence, and defiance. “I saw how their image was so important to them, and how they presented themselves through fashion,” he told Vogue.

Designer Wales Bonner infused the look with rich symbolism: baobab flower motifs, cowrie shells (a nod to African protection rituals), and mother-of-pearl buttons. His ear cuffs, cuff links, and brooches—crafted in partnership with SNOW Diamonds—were adorned with garnets (marking Hamilton’s January birth), white and amber diamonds, and floral shapes meant to evoke memory, growth, and ancestral roots.

The ensemble took five months to bring to life—three in research and two in execution. "What makes it special is that it’s not just about fashion—it’s about meaning,” said Eric McNeal, Hamilton’s stylist. The creative team turned to influences such as Barkley L. Hendricks’s iconic white-on-white portraits and Cab Calloway’s expressive Harlem Renaissance style. Every element was deliberate, every detail a thread in a larger cultural tapestry.

This isn’t Hamilton’s first Met Gala appearance, but it might be his most profound. In previous years, he’s used his platform to uplift Black designers and celebrate underrepresented historical figures. In 2021, he hosted a table of emerging Black fashion talent. In 2024, he honored John Ystumllyn, Wales’s first Black gardener. In 2025, he turned himself into a living canvas—an embodiment of legacy, identity, and vision.

Lewis Hamilton didn’t just dress for the Met Gala. He told a story—and the fashion world listened.