Can Ferrari finally take pole position in luxury fashion and lifestyle?
Could Ferrari balance F1 heritage, performance, and style successfully, or will standing out in luxury fashion prove trickier than imagined?
Ferrari in Fashion: Can the Legendary Racing Brand Outpace the World’s Top Luxury Houses?
The lights go out on the Formula 1 starting grid—adrenaline spikes, and the fiercest battle for supremacy begins. It’s one of the most electrifying moments in global motorsport. At the heart of this adrenaline-fuelled spectacle stands Ferrari, a brand synonymous with precision engineering, Italian excellence, and world-class racing performance.
But Ferrari is no longer just about speed on the track. Since 2021, under creative director Rocco Iannone, the marque has been racing into the world of luxury fashion, blending high-octane heritage with contemporary design. This bold move sparks compelling questions for fans, fashion aficionados, and luxury consumers alike: Can Ferrari compete with the world’s leading fashion houses? And what makes its luxury clothing collections truly unique in a crowded market?
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Inside Maranello: How Ferrari Turns Motorsport Precision into Luxury Experiences
As students of the Global Luxury Management for Business Professionals Master’s programme, visiting the Ferrari factory in Maranello was transformative. Immersed in its history and touring its technological and operational centres, we witnessed firsthand how Ferrari brings its culture and values to life.
When we speak about luxury, we often refer to quality, exclusivity, and uniqueness. Yet Ferrari’s approach is particularly fascinating: it presents a dual dynamic of exclusivity and inclusivity, seeking to strike a balance across its diverse audience. But does this inclusive strategy risk diluting its luxury brand positioning?
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From Track to Tailoring: Ferrari’s High-Performance Craftsmanship
The visit began with a video—one that, as an F1 fan, nearly brought me to tears. The opening message conveyed a profound sense of belonging and pride in Ferrari’s legacy. Decades may have passed, but the brand continues to evolve, always anchored by the visionary spirit of its founder, Enzo Ferrari.
The attention to detail, the perfectly balanced, synchronised, and structured processes, and the seamless integration of each facility all underscore Ferrari’s drive for continuous improvement, efficiency, and maximum vertical integration. Coming from an operations background, I couldn’t help but wonder: Is this the very strategy that manifests on the pit lane? How did they become the team with the most Constructors’ Championships in Formula 1 history? If their success is truly built on these principles, how will they translate them into a new luxury segment such as fashion?
Differentiating in Luxury: Ferrari’s Strategy to Disrupt Fashion & Lifestyle
Diversification is a powerful strategy for companies. Yet this new avenue Ferrari is pursuing raises another question: Can it truly be conquered?
In one of our master’s lessons, we explored concepts such as “functional luxury” vs. “symbolic luxury.” After visiting Maranello and diving deeper into Ferrari’s philosophy, it becomes clear that they are experts in capability, execution, and meticulous attention to refinement—undoubtedly a form of functional luxury within their category. But can they break client perceptions and truly position themselves in a category entirely different from “speed and performance?” Or perhaps this is part of a broader growth strategy aimed at balancing the appeal across all their client segments—an adaptation to the changes demanded by the luxury industry and the world today.
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Ferrari’s 2026 Challenge: Achieving Pole Position in the Luxury Fashion Arena
After completing the full tour in Maranello, and reflecting on the experience while writing this article, my perspective—and hypothesis—for Ferrari’s new direction is that they should not lose their heritage or the passion that defines their racing and performance legacy.
A key message from the visit was unmistakable: “We will not lose the company’s DNA” throughout this evolution. Yet, as both an emerging fashion professional and an F1 fan, I sense a lingering distance between the brand’s essence and its latest collections, even within the atmosphere of the flagship store and its 2025 pieces.
Perhaps embracing innovative, nontraditional materials, reimagining signature elements such as aerodynamics, and infusing a bolder high-tech performance vision could help Ferrari create a new category: “Luxury Performance.”
In their declarations, Ferrari states: “We sell a way of life.” It is not fashion for fashion’s sake. This leads me to conclude that Ferrari is not striving to become a dominant new fashion house; rather, they aim to craft a distinctive message and carve out a new category of fashion and lifestyle, grounded in heritage and sustainability, with a healthy dose of red-hued myth. However, the brand is still in the process of shaping a clear and powerful narrative.
Based on current industry feedback and financial performance compared to direct competitors, Ferrari’s fashion division has made the grid and is racing—but it has yet to secure pole position in this new category.
Undoubtedly, Ferrari faces a formidable challenge ahead. It will be fascinating to watch how the brand positions itself throughout this journey of transformation and evolution, guided by the undeniable talent of its fashion creative director, Rocco Iannone.
Jackeline Méndez
Master’s Student in Global Luxury Management for Business Professionals, Milan