In a move that challenges the polished, corporate veneer of Formula One™, HUGO has enlisted Slawn- one of the UK’s most exciting young painters – to reimagine the Visa Cash App Racing Bulls (VCARB) team livery for the British Grand Prix™, blurring the lines between high-speed sport and raw street art. The reveal took place at Flannels X in London, where Slawn unveiled his graffiti-inspired design on the VCARB 02 car, a radical visual departure from the usual immaculate race car aesthetics.
Slawn’s work, pulsing with the energy of urban grit and cultural hybridity, refused the gloss and precision typical of F1™, instead layering the car in a spray-painted, caricature-heavy style that evokes rebellion and audacity. The event was more than a mere unveiling – it was an intentional disruption in a sport often accused of being out of touch with contemporary youth culture.
Guests at the pop-up had the rare chance to meet drivers Isack Hadjar and Liam Lawson before an after-party where Slawn created bespoke artworks live, painting customised teamwear and signing posters. The guest list featured an eclectic mix of creatives and tastemakers, underscoring the event’s crossover appeal.
“Art meets speed, and I brought the madness,” said Slawn, whose Nigerian heritage and experience navigating global art scenes informs his distinctive, unorthodox approach. “Big love to HUGO and VCARB for trusting the vision.”
This collaboration extends beyond the racetrack. Slawn’s takeover of the HUGO x RB off-track collection channels the same restless spirit, marrying heritage tailoring with streetwise iconoclasm. The capsule features a chestnut herringbone blazer defaced with bold, spray-painted caricatures and a hoodie bearing a large, hand-painted face – an embrace of imperfection and personality rare in the sartorial world.
These limited-edition pieces, tagged with removable numbered sleeves, challenge the luxury market’s fetish for pristine exclusivity by foregrounding impermanence and authenticity. The collection’s mix of tailored and casual garments speaks to a new generation unafraid to blur boundaries between formality and rebellion.
James Foster, HUGO BOSS’s SVP of Global Marketing, acknowledged the power of this synthesis: “Slawn’s daring art on the VCARB livery and his takeover of the HUGO x RB collab embodies the brand’s ambition to take F1™ beyond the track and into culture. It’s a testament to the strength of forging your own path — a core tenet of HUGO’s DNA.”
Further extending the project’s reach, East London’s Beau Beau’s café—founded by Slawn—is transformed into the HUGO Race Car Café for a weekend takeover. With custom window vinyls, branded coffee cups, and an F1 racing simulator competition, the event cements this collaboration as a dynamic cultural moment that straddles the worlds of sport, art, and community.
HUGO x RB by Slawn is a rare triptych of style, racing prowess, and fearless artistic expression. This limited-edition capsule is available exclusively at Flannels and online in the EMEA region, standing as a striking counterpoint to the often homogenous world of Formula One™ merchandising.
