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Im not going to stay quiet, said Lewis Hamilton when asked about his support for the Black Lives Matter movement post George Floyds unfortunate death. And he hasnt! The 7x Formula 1 world champion never leaves a stone unturned to raise his voice in support of equal rights and substantive representation. It all began in 2021 when Lewis Hamilton took budding black designers to the Met Gala, having booked an entire table for them. But this years iconic ode to Black history is unparalleled. It wont be wrong to say that Lewis Hamilton is taking on the world, one outfit at a time, and we are floored.

Sir Lewis Hamilton arrived at the MET Gala 2024 right after an exhausting race weekend in Miami. This is not the first time he has pulled something like this as in 2018, Hamilton partied in New York to celebrate his first collection, then flew to Singapore and delivered the best lap of his glorious career. He faced everyone, including the late Niki Laudas (triple F1 world champion and senior advisor at Mercedes) displeasure at his other ventures. But Lewis never backed down. He only grew stronger in his expression of his love for fashion. And 6 years later, The Garden of Time came alive.

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I hope the sun pours light upon our skin. And we melt into each other, into everything. Maybe the trees will speak, as they sometimes do. Whispers from the shade. , , Thisis a poem called The Gardener byAlex Wharton. If you think why am I in a full-blown recitation amid a fashion article, it is because Lewis Hamilton chose to express this poem by a black poet on his outfit dedicated to Britains first black gardener. Lewis was wearing a custom Burberry look which was created after researching this years theme, The Garden of Time. And what is more timeless than the history of those who couldnt write it for themselves?

Lewis Hamilton spoke to Vogue Magazine and said that while deep diving into and researching for the theme, he came across an 18th-century gardener who, through slavery times, came over from Africa to Wales and became the first Black gardener in Wales [John Ystumllyn]. Thats where the inspiration for his look [and jewelry] came from. The slave trade was abolished in the British Empire in 1807 and the Slavery Abolition Act went into effect in 1834. But Hamilton remembered to pay homage to people who suffered through this. He talked about John, saying, Through adversity, he really triumphed.

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Explaining his outfit, he said, Its Burberry. I did a lot of research, [and] came across this 18th-century gardener that through slavery times came over from Africa to Wales & became the first black gardener in Wales, so through adversity really triumphed. So thats really where the inspiration has come from. I like that the thorns here are ready to show the pain through that slavery trade time. Explaining his process, Hamilton added,I like to get deep with it you have to [take the theme seriously], you have to get in character.

But this wasnt the only time he made a statement via his fashion statement. His last Met Gala appearance had him making a generous gesture for budding black designers.

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In 2021, Lewis Hamilton paid for three designers Theophilio, Kenneth Nicholson, and Jason Rembertto sit at his table with other Black innovators including Zendayas stylist Law Roach, Alton Mason, Kehlani, and athletes Miles Chamley-Watson and ShaCarri Richardson. Its believed an individual ticket for the Met Gala costs approximately $30,000 (21,000), while designers pay at least $275,000 (198,000) for tables.

via Reuters

Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Gala Met Gala In America: A Lexicon of Fashion Arrivals New York City, U.S. September 13, 2021. Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni

Lewis explained his step, stating The Met is the biggest fashion event of the year, and for this theme, I wanted to create something that was meaningful and would spark a conversation. So that when people see us all together, it will put these Black designers at the top of peoples minds.

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Lewis is the only black driver in Formula 1 history, amongst a rich history of 776 drivers. He has conquered the sport, shattering ceilings in a place where nobody looked like him. Despite being the most successful F1 driver ever, he doesnt spare a chance to utilize his platform to further his agenda of a better world where we accept our past mistakes and treat everyone with equal respect.

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Black History Matters; MET Gala Attendee Lewis Hamilton Is Taking On The World With One Outfit at a Time - EssentiallySports