Formula One racing and fashion came together on Friday evening in Monte Carlo at the glittering Amber Fashion event to raise funds for the Elton John Aids Foundation. For the second time - after her debut at last year’s Monaco Grand Prix - Petra Ecclestone, daughter of Formula One Management CEO Bernie, unveiled the new collection from her top-end menswear range FORM, an F1-inspired fashion line.
And again the models were none other than seven current Formula One drivers and one recently retired: reigning champion Lewis Hamilton, this year’s leader Jenson Button, Nico Rosberg, Mark Webber, Adrian Sutil, Vitantonio Liuzzi, catwalk newcomer Sebastian Vettel and F1 veteran David Coulthard.
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Back to the drivers on the catwalk and for seven of them it was their second time ‘on show’, so the nerves were kept in check. A cool-headed Mark Webber commented: “Last year my knees were shaking a bit, but now it’s all routine! Could the catwalk be a career for me? No. So far I’ve never been a fashion junkie, but you never know - never say never! And to be frank, it’s all a question of money. € could become a model for the right deal. Jeans and shirts - that would be me. What I would never do is bikinis!”
It was an evening to remember, not least due to the professional presenting skills of Tamara Ecclestone, Petra’s sister. The face of Moussaieff, she wore a gorgeous necklace by the exclusive jewellers. No wonder it was a proud Bernie Ecclestone who left the venue, having seen both his daughters being the stars of the night. Formula 1
Championship leader Jenson Button, Red Bull duo Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber, Nelson Piquet of Renault, Williams’s Nico Rosberg, Force India’s Adrian Sutil and their reserve driver Tonio Liuzzi were joined by BBC pundit David Coulthard.
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World champion Lewis Hamilton made a dramatic late entrance as he arrived at the Meridien Beach Plaza hotel from across the sea.
“He is approaching things differently,” explained one of the dressers. How so? “He’s getting changed on a boat.”
The best seats in the house went to Bernie Ecclestone, Prince Albert II of Monaco, Princess Beatrice, Elizabeth Hurley and husband Arun Nayar, Sir Richard Branson, Olympic legend Michael Johnson and comedian David Walliams.
Hamilton delivered another Jekyll and Hyde performance as he dropped his backstage smiles to adopt a model’s cool glare - but it didn’t stop the world champion receiving the biggest cheer of the night when he did his turn.
With the drivers safely back in their jeans and trainers, a charity auction raised more than 345,000 Euros (£303,000) for Elton John’s charity, which provides support for those living with Aids in 15 countries, including the UK. BBC Sport
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