Hugo, the Gen-Z-focused ready-to-wear sub-brand under German retailer Hugo Boss, has signed a sponsorship deal with Formula 1′s new Visa Cash App RB team, or VCARB F1.
The team was recently rebranded from the name Alphatuari, under which it had competed since 2020. The apparel and eyewear partnership was announced at a season launch event in Las Vegas on Thursday night, where the team unveiled its new car livery carrying the “Hugo” branding and the new apparel collection designed by Hugo.
In addition to creating performance- and formalwear for the team’s drivers and support staff, Hugo will release limited edition capsule collections and fan merch.
The VCARB F1 deal marks the German retailer’s second foray into motorsports: Its primary Boss line became the official apparel partner of the Aston Martin F1 team in June 2022.
Hugo stands to benefit from the association with Daniel Ricciardo and Yuki Tsunoda, two of Formula 1′s most charismatic drivers, who are signed to VCARB. The pair boasts a combined Instagram following of over 11 million.
“F1 is one of the world’s fastest growing sports, if not the fastest growing one,” said Nadia Kokni, senior vice president of global marketing and brand communications at Hugo Boss. “The season and race weekends will provide good opportunities and moments for new audiences to discover the Hugo brand.”
In recent years, brands from Louis Vuitton and Sacai to New York streetwear label Awake have flooded into the sport to take advantage of its growing popularity among young fans. A number of fashion companies, like Hugo Boss, Palm Angels and English retailer Reiss, have entered the sport via team partnerships, while others opt to host pop-ups around key moments in the season such as the glitzy Las Vegas and Miami Grand Prix races.
In October, Puma tapped American hip-hop-artist-turned-fashion tastemaker A$AP Rocky as creative director of its Formula 1 partnership. In his new role, the rapper will help Puma expand its audience and capitalise on the growing intersection between streetwear and motorsports. He launched his debut capsule at the inaugural Las Vegas Grand Prix — billed by Lewis Hamilton as “Las Vegas Fashion Week” — the following month.
The 2024 Formula 1 season will begin with the Bahrain Grand Prix on Mar. 2.
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