McLaren Racing team up with students from Central Saint Martins

McLaren Racing have announced a partnership with Central Saint Martins of the University of the Arts London (UAL).

The partnership entails 46 students from Central Saint Martins working on transforming six decades of McLaren history into a fashion collection under a new campaign titled “Designed to Race”.

The campaign will explore the connection between racing, design, and culture, highlighting iconic moments from the McLaren F1 team’s history. The collection will be present during the “Designed to Race: Front Row” fashion show, to be held on September 16, 2026, at the McLaren Technology Centre in Woking, Surrey.

Louise McEwen, Chief Marketing Officer, McLaren Racing, commented:

“Formula 1 is influencing culture in ways we’ve never seen before today’s fans engage with the sport through fashion, music, design and social media as much as they do through what happens on the racetrack. Today 1 in 3 fans actively consider fashion and style as important in the way they want to express their fandom.

“Designed to Race explores that cultural influence through the eyes of the next generation of creative talent, who resolutely mirror our high-performance culture and commitment to detail. Working with Central Saint Martins has brought to life the connections between fashion and racing, allowing us to see our history reinterpreted in fresh and unexpected ways.”

Fabio Piras, Course Leader for MA Fashion at Central Saint Martins, added;

“At Central Saint Martins, we believe the most valuable learning happens when students are challenged to apply their creativity in real-world contexts. This collaboration gave our students the opportunity to work with one of the most powerful brands in global sport; and one that has led the way in working with partners to design wearable, inclusive collections, which has connected fans with the team over a number of years.

“Beyond the design challenge itself, the collaboration has provided a platform for our MA students to develop their creative practice, collaborate across disciplines and present their work to a wider audience. We’re proud to see our students engaging with new ideas, pushing creative boundaries, and demonstrating the role design can play in connecting different worlds.”