British-Nigerian actor Damson Idris has taken his growing influence beyond Hollywood and into the world of fashion, joining forces with renowned American fashion house Tommy Hilfiger for the highly anticipated APXGP capsule collection inspired by the Formula 1 movie F1: The Movie. The collaboration brings together three powerful cultural forces — cinema, motorsport and fashion — in a partnership designed to capture the speed, confidence and contemporary style associated with Formula 1.
The collaboration places Idris at the forefront of Tommy Hilfiger’s APXGP campaign, with the actor serving as one of the most recognisable faces of the limited-edition collection. The range was created in connection with F1: The Movie, in which Idris stars alongside Hollywood heavyweight Brad Pitt. Tommy Hilfiger describes the collection as a meeting point between racing aesthetics and its signature American preparation, while Formula 1 has highlighted the collection’s role in helping fuel the growing “motorcore” fashion movement.
For DDM News, the partnership represents more than a conventional celebrity endorsement. It demonstrates the remarkable way Damson Idris is expanding his cultural footprint, moving from his acclaimed acting career into a space where entertainment, fashion and sport increasingly overlap.
The APXGP collection is directly connected to the fictional racing team featured in F1: The Movie. Rather than simply creating clothing inspired by the film, Tommy Hilfiger designed the actual styles worn by the cast on screen and subsequently transformed those designs into a limited-edition collection for fans. The line features racing-inspired jackets, mechanic shirts, polos, graphic T-shirts, sweaters, technical outerwear, trousers, shorts and accessories.
At the centre of the campaign is Damson Idris, who plays Joshua Pearce, a young and ambitious Formula 1 driver who joins the fictional APXGP team. The role has been widely regarded as an important moment in the actor’s rapidly developing international career. Idris, who became widely recognised for his performance as Franklin Saint in the television series Snowfall, shares the screen with Brad Pitt in the high-octane racing drama. The Associated Press described the project as a major opportunity for the British-Nigerian actor, highlighting his growing profile in Hollywood and his intensive preparation for the racing role.
His involvement with Tommy Hilfiger therefore feels particularly significant because the fashion partnership closely mirrors the world he entered through the movie. Idris is not merely modelling clothing inspired by a fictional racing environment; he is the actor who helped bring that world to life.
The APXGP collection was launched globally ahead of the film’s theatrical release in June 2025. Tommy Hilfiger positioned the collection as a limited-edition celebration of speed, style and cinematic storytelling, with pieces combining traditional elements of the brand’s identity with bold motorsport references. Racing stripes, technical fabrics, varsity-inspired jackets, graphic logos and athletic silhouettes give the collection a distinctly trackside character while retaining the polished feel associated with Tommy Hilfiger.
One of the most interesting aspects of the collaboration is how it reflects the changing relationship between Formula 1 and fashion. Motorsport has increasingly moved beyond the racetrack to become a major source of inspiration for streetwear and luxury fashion. The Formula 1 platform itself has noted that the release of F1: The Movie helped accelerate this change, with fans increasingly adopting racing-inspired clothing rather than limiting their Grand Prix wardrobes to traditional team merchandise.
The APXGP collection became part of that transformation. Fans could wear pieces associated with the fictional team while incorporating them into their everyday wardrobes, effectively turning APXGP into a fashion identity of its own.
Damson Idris has also played a major role in making that identity desirable to a younger and more fashion-conscious audience. Formula 1’s own fashion coverage described Idris as bringing a new-generation style to the movie’s fashion landscape. His appearance at the 2025 Met Gala further strengthened that image when he arrived in a custom Tommy Hilfiger racing-inspired look before revealing a striking red tuxedo on the red carpet.
That appearance was another indication that Idris was becoming more than an actor promoting a movie. He was increasingly being positioned as a fashion figure capable of moving comfortably between Hollywood, motorsport and high-profile fashion events.
The collaboration also fits into Tommy Hilfiger’s long-standing relationship with motorsport. The brand has previously been involved with major racing names and teams, including partnerships associated with Formula 1. Its relationship with the sport has included work with drivers such as Lewis Hamilton and collaborations connected to Mercedes-AMG Petronas.
The APXGP project consequently represents another chapter in Tommy Hilfiger’s strategy of connecting its fashion identity with sport and popular culture. The brand’s involvement in F1: The Movie was particularly notable because it did not stop at supplying costumes. Tommy Hilfiger became deeply integrated into the visual identity of the fictional racing team, making the clothing part of the storytelling itself.
The partnership arrived at a time when Formula 1’s cultural influence was expanding rapidly. The sport has developed a massive global following, particularly among younger audiences, and its influence now extends into entertainment, music, fashion and lifestyle. The release of F1: The Movie brought Hollywood directly into that ecosystem, with real Grand Prix events serving as part of the film’s production and actual Formula 1 personalities appearing alongside the fictional characters.
The result has been a powerful crossover. Movie audiences have become interested in Formula 1, while racing fans have embraced the film’s characters and fashion. Tommy Hilfiger’s APXGP collection sits directly at the centre of that crossover.
Beyond the clothing itself, the collaboration highlights Damson Idris’s growing ability to represent contemporary African and British talent on a global stage. Born in London to Nigerian parents, Idris has steadily built an international acting career, and his role in F1: The Movie has introduced him to an even wider audience. His partnership with one of America’s most recognisable fashion brands further demonstrates the commercial and cultural opportunities that can emerge when entertainment success intersects with fashion influence.
DDM News understands that collaborations of this nature are becoming increasingly important in the modern entertainment industry. Celebrities are no longer confined to one profession or one form of influence. Actors can become fashion ambassadors, musicians can become designers, athletes can become cultural icons, and film projects can become platforms for major lifestyle movements.
For Idris, the APXGP campaign is particularly fitting because his character Joshua Pearce represents ambition, youth and determination — qualities that closely mirror the actor’s own rise in the entertainment industry. His journey from television success to a major Hollywood production, and now to a high-profile fashion campaign, demonstrates how quickly his career has expanded.
The collection itself reflects that sense of movement. Tommy Hilfiger’s classic American style has been reworked through the visual language of motorsport, producing clothing that can appeal to both dedicated Formula 1 followers and consumers who simply appreciate contemporary streetwear. The range includes pieces designed to be worn beyond the racetrack, allowing the APXGP aesthetic to move naturally into everyday fashion.
The collaboration also illustrates the increasing commercial power of fictional brands and teams. APXGP may have originated as a fictional racing team created for a movie, but through Tommy Hilfiger’s design and Damson Idris’s campaign presence, it has been transformed into a recognisable fashion identity with real-world products.
What began as part of a film’s costume design has therefore evolved into a global fashion statement.
As Formula 1 continues to influence popular culture and motor-inspired fashion continues to gain momentum, the relationship between racing, entertainment and clothing is likely to become even stronger. Tommy Hilfiger’s APXGP collection demonstrates how a fictional world can inspire real consumer culture, while Damson Idris provides the personality and star power needed to bring that world to life.
Ultimately, Damson Idris’s partnership with Tommy Hilfiger is not simply about clothes. It is about positioning an emerging Hollywood star at the intersection of fashion, sport and entertainment at a moment when all three industries are becoming increasingly connected. Through APXGP, Idris has helped turn the speed and excitement of Formula 1 into a fashion language — one built around confidence, movement, youthful energy and unmistakable racing style.
The collaboration is another major step in Damson Idris’s evolution from acclaimed actor to global cultural figure, while for Tommy Hilfiger, it represents another successful attempt to make its classic American aesthetic relevant to a new generation through one of the world’s fastest-growing sporting cultures.
