In F1's Race for Eyeballs, a $70k Balenciaga Shark Sculpture Takes Pole Position
Formula 1 is very much an indulgent affair, so much so that its shift from mere luxury to luxury fashion was only inevitable. How are brands to stand out amidst a crowded field of luxury contenders?
Look to a new F1-meets-luxury contender, which revved up its engines between champagne victory showers and Paris Hilton DJ sets, hinting at the gloriously weird future of F1 as luxury.
Balenciaga raced into the F1 scene with a special racing gear collection and a hammerhead shark sculpture made by Japanese artist Showichi Kaneda, exclusively available at Balenciaga Wynn Plaza in Vegas.
The $70,000 Balenciaga artwork, made just for F1 Vegas 2024, is based on Kaneda's Human's Own series, which features hammerhead sharks patterned and printed to resemble sponsored racecars. It's a little funky, a little weird, and easily the most impressive singular luxury moment at F1 Vegas, possibly even symbolic of the future of F1 luxury.
Balenciaga moto gear alone wouldn't have moved the needle, you know — not because it isn't good but because it's practically de rigueur.
Under Demna's creative direction, Balenciaga has long steered hard into moto culture, consistently spinning out oversized racing leathers, grippy gloves, and even legendarily wild moto-coded boots.
Balenciaga put pedal to the metal on its motocore obsession far before the style truly peaked, even teaming up with Italian sport-street label Alpinestars for an authentic cultural crossover.
With luxury fashion is already omnipresent at F1, Balenciaga couldn't have angled for pole position with clothes alone; a particularly wild one-off is key here.
Consider LVMH's presence at F1, reflected in conventional luxury flexes like Tiffany's gleaming sterling silver F1 trophies that fit within special Louis Vuitton monogram trunks.
Now, though, the event's stand out moments are $70k shark sculptures and +44, Lewis Hamilton's clothing label, collaborating with — of all people — Tyler the Creator.
Stylish dude, for sure, but Tyler is more tennis (or golf) than F1. A surprising cosign that only boosts Hamilton's brand beyond the many contenders.
Likewise, one of 2023's biggest F1-meets-fashion moments came courtesy of something entirely unrelated to the big event: Chanel's F1-ish baby tee, priced at a princely $4,450. The appeal wasn't the design, of course, but the unexpected crossover between the biggest name in luxury and a surprisingly stylish sport.
The point is clear. Drive to survive and innovate to thrive — there's simply too much other stuff happening at F1 events to allow anyone to standout without a little creativity.
