The Alpine Formula 1 Team is set to hit the track AND the runway next year after striking a deal to receive a luxury makeover from the 'House of Gucci', one of fashion's true heritage labels.
Written by Esme Cleeve
Set to become one of motorsport's trendiest collaborations, the agreement will see Alpine F1 rebranded to compete under the ‘Gucci Racing Alpine Formula One Team’ banner.
Alpine has undergone an array of changes over the last 25 years having morphed from Benetton to Renault at the turn of the millennium, then sold to Lotus 12 years later only to be bought back by Renault in 2016. Following its rebrand to Alpine ahead of the 2021 F1 season, it is hoped Gucci will be the name to resolve this long-standing identity crisis
The deal, which is understood to be worth $150 million over three-years, will give the team a more ‘self-assured’ image with a powerhouse brand like Gucci behind it.
Alpine and Gucci
Gucci, which was founded in 1921 by the fabulously named Guccio Gucci, began trading in Italy as a luxury equestrian shop before growing over time to a value of $15.3 billion.
Adored by icons as Jackie Kennedy (who had a Gucci bag renamed ‘The Jackie’ because of her love for it), Grace Kelly (who is the reason behind the iconic ‘Gucci Flora Print’) and Princess Di (a lover of the Gucci Bamboo Tote), the brand has stood the test of time and remains true to its heritage with its classic ‘GG’ monogram, bamboo handles, and horse bit accents - a homage to its equine origins.
Alpine and Gucci's partnership will begin in February 2027 with the unveiling of that season's F1 car, no doubt with a statement-making Gucci-emblazoned livery.
While we cannot wait to see how ‘Guccified’ the high-fashion F1 car will be, it's certainly not the first time the worlds of fashion and motoring have come together...
At Vertu, we are proud to partner with more than 30 manufacturers - including Alpine – many of which can say they've dabbled in the trendy world of fashion to make a fashion statement
From collaborating with designers to lending their licence to fashionable products, a chic car often makes the ideal accessory to any in vogue item...
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Land Rover and Paul Smith
Paul Smith - one of Britian’s most successful independent fashion designers - and Land Rover - the stoic car brand embedded in British automotive history - came together to unveil a custom one-off Land Rover Defender 90.
This quintessentially British pairing of two important pillar industries of the nation’s identity was brought about to pay a farewell tribute to the classic Defender after 68 years in production.
Paul Smith - now Sir Paul Smith - has owned several Land Rover vehicles over the years, dubbing the Defender as a “British icon”. And rightly so, for there is no vehicle more interwoven with Royalty, country and British history than the Defender.
Working with Land Rover’s Chief design officer, Gerry McGovern, Smith created a completely unique design. The exterior features 27 colours, specially mixed from Pantone references that Paul favoured and frequented throughout his career, highlighting his famous confident use of colour.
The patchwork colour scheme on the vehicle is designed to honour the Land Rovers in British farmyards. A time when scraps of random metal would be used to patch up battering’s in the aluminium body from hard labour.
However, this was not Paul’s first automotive rodeo...
Mini and Paul Smith
Paul’s Land Rover collaboration followed on from an iconic and successful two-car run with yet another iconic British brand, Mini.
Smith and Mini created the ‘Rover Mini Paul Smith’ in 1998, a car commissioned just two years before classic Mini production ended... and as expected, Paul added his signature ‘classic with a twist’ style.
Wanting this car to resemble a suit - a nod to his fashion career - the Mini’s exterior is sophisticated and classy, painted ‘Paul Smith blue’, a colour sampled from a piece of fabric Smith brought to a design meeting from one of his collections.
And, just like many suits, its interior lining is much more fun. Indeed, when you begin to explore the vehicle and open compartments like glove boxes, you get that bold pop of colour only seen when flashed open - like the lining of a suit.
Just like the map of the British Isles seen on the front grill, the pops of colour inside the Mini are Paul's signature citrus green pulled straight from his extensive collection pallets.
The following year they teamed up again to celebrate the classic Mini’s 40th anniversary creating a iconic striped design:
Mercedes-Benz and Off-White
‘Project Geländewagen’ was a total re-imagination of the Mercedez-Benz G-Class, more universally known as the G-Wagon. Its iconic boxy silhouette, which first debuted in 1979, has remained largely unchanged since its creation.
You could describe the G-Wagon as a safe, of sorts. The mechanic stiff exteriors lead you to think it’s a workhorse rugged car, but when you slam the heavy stell doors shut, you’re met with unpaired luxury - like shutting the doors of a safe. Its soft Nappa leather seats, suede-like finishes on the roof and bespoke trims make you feel elevated - and you really are physically elevated as the G-Wagon raises you around 3.5 feet off the ground.
It’s this juxtaposition of the meaning of luxury which made the collaboration of these two brands work so well.
Off-White is a luxury fashion label. Founded in Italy in 2012 by Virgil Abloh. It looks at luxury differently, Off-White eschewing the traditional ‘stuffy’ luxury outlook, Off-White took on a more modern take. Combining street wear styles with high-quality materials was where Virgil solidified the brand's identity.
Covered in arrows, quotation marks, hazard belts, and zip-ties, Off-White connects youth culture with luxury and found a successful formula as the brand was worth an estimated $500 million in its peak era (2019-2021).
Whilst these high fashion collaborations with cars will continue to wow, and more custom limited editions will come and go, Vertu remains dedicated to helping you find your personal style.
Visit Vertu to find your perfect new or used car, and make the roads your runway everyday.
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- New Cars
- Alpine