Pole Position in Style: Lewis Hamilton at the 2025 Met Gala

Written by: Melissa A.

What is the Met Gala?

The Met Gala is an annual fundraising event for the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute in New York City. The fundraising helps keep admittance to the museum free for students and residents of New York. Known as fashion's biggest night, it brings together celebrities, designers, and cultural icons to showcase extravagant, theme-inspired looks. Each year’s gala celebrates the opening of the Costume Institute’s Spring exhibition, with guests dressing according to a specific theme. It’s both a glamorous red-carpet spectacle and a major moment in the world of art, fashion, and pop culture.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Image provided by TripAdvisor.

Enter Lewis Hamilton: From Champion to Co-Chair

Every year, the Met Gala has a group of co-chairs, playing a symbolic and practical role for the event. Their responsibilities usually involve helping shape the theme and vision of the gala, serving as ambassadors for the event, participating in planning and hosting aspects, and attending as central figures on the red carpet.

On October 9th, 2024, it was announced that the 7x World Driver Champion would be co-chair for the 2025 Met Gala alongside Anna Wintour, Colman Domingo, A$AP Rocky, Pharrell Williams, and LeBron James. This year’s theme is “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style” with the dress code titled “Tailored for You.”

Coleman Domingo, A$AP Rocky, Lewis Hamilton, Pharrel Williams and Anna Wintour. Image provided by The Hollywood Reporter.

This theme celebrated the artistry and cultural significance of Black dandyism, exploring how Black individuals have used fashion—particularly tailoring and menswear—to express identity, resistance, and self-empowerment from the 18th century to today. The dress code encouraged guests to interpret classic tailoring through a personal lens, resulting in a red carpet filled with bespoke suits, bold silhouettes, and symbolic accessories that honored Black fashion heritage.

Hamilton's involvement as co-chair underscored his commitment to spotlighting Black designers and cultural narratives. At the gala, he wore a bespoke ensemble rich in symbolism, featuring elements like cowrie shells and garnet-adorned accessories that paid homage to his heritage and personal story. (Vogue)

Lewis Hamilton's ensemble at the 2025 Met Gala was a masterclass in sartorial storytelling, seamlessly blending heritage, symbolism, and high fashion. Collaborating with designer Grace Wales Bonner and stylist Eric McNeal, Hamilton's ivory suit was a tribute to Black dandyism and the Harlem Renaissance, aligning with the gala's theme, "Superfine: Tailoring Black Style." Every element of Hamilton's outfit was imbued with meaning. The ivory color denoted purity and status, while the cowrie shells and baobab flower motifs on the brooches referenced African heritage and spiritual resilience. His cufflinks, shaped like the Whirligig African Daisy, symbolized growth and memory. Hamilton emphasized the depth of this symbolism, stating, "This is more than a suit, this is ancestral history."

Ultimately, Lewis Hamilton's Met Gala appearance was a striking blend of style, history, and identity, representing a pivotal moment in fashion's continuous conversation with culture and heritage.

Lewis Hamilton at the Met Gala, 2025. Image provided by Variety Magazine.

Revving Up the Met Gala: Damson Idris

I’m sure we have all heard of the upcoming film, F1, coming out in late June 2025. Well, we saw one of the stars of the movie, Damson Idris, make an epic entrance to the gala. Arriving at the event in the F1 car from the movie, he was starting to turn heads already. Dressed in Tommy Hilfiger, Damson arrived in a full race suit and lid covered with 20,000 Swarovski crystals, paying homage to the upcoming film. Making his way down the red carpet, he made a dramatic outfit change, shedding out of the race suit into a finely tailored red plaid tuxedo, also by Hilfiger, featuring gold-beaded tartan and satin lapels—a nod to modern Black dandyism and classic American tailoring. He accessorized with pieces from his own luxury jewelry line, DIDRIS, including a gold tourmaline pendant and an 11-carat emerald brooch honoring his entrepreneurial mother. Idris described the ensemble as a tribute to his heritage and a fusion of history and innovation, aligning perfectly with the Met Gala's theme.

Damson Idris at the Met Gala, 2025. Image provided by People Magazine.

Fast Cars, Fine Threads: Lewis Hamilton and Damson Idris Steer Style into the Spotlight at the Met Gala

On a night celebrating Black style and self-expression, Lewis Hamilton and Damson Idris demonstrated that fashion transcends mere aesthetics, serving as a medium for history, identity, and storytelling. Hamilton’s ivory tailoring paid tribute to his ancestry, while Idris’s look merged cinematic and cultural elements, making their Met Gala appearances memorable on the red carpet and in discussions about representation in fashion. As public figures active beyond the runway—be it in racing or film—they highlighted that intentional style can create an impact far beyond the camera's flash.

Let us know your thoughts on Lewis and Damson’s looks on fashion’s biggest night of the year! What worked and what didn’t this year? Be sure to follow us on our socials (@paddockgirlspodcast). We’ll see you in the next lap!