London Fashion Stars Turn Out To Support Lewis Hamilton's Charity Foundation

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The fashion, acting, music and sports world's joined forces for charity last night at Lewis Hamilton's Reimagining The Future gala dinner, raising funds for his Mission 44 foundation. Fashion stars including designers Kim Jones , Bianca Saunders and Tolu Coker were joined by Lily Allen , Tems, Idris and Sabrina Elba , and an array of British athletes.

"I think it's going to be a really powerful evening," Hamilton told British Vogue ahead of the event to raise funds for the charity that has already invested £5.5 million in helping young people around the world. "It's one of the few opportunities we get to bring everyone together and celebrate what we've achieved over the past three years. It's also our first ever fundraising event and I'm so excited about the positive impact that will come out of tonight."

Mission 44 was launched in response to the The Hamilton Commission – a research report funded by the driver after the Black Lives Matter movement in 2020. The role of the report was to better understand the lack of Black representation in UK motorsport which, ultimately, inspired Hamilton to create Mission 44. "The Hamilton Commission found barriers all through the education and employment pathways. It was really important to me not just to identify problems but also do something about them," says Hamilton. "Mission 44 is tackling those barriers through grant giving and working with partners that empower young people to succeed. But it's not just about changing motorsport, our goal is to build a fairer and more inclusive future for young people around the world, to give them the opportunity to thrive, no matter what their dreams are."

One of the major success stories of Mission 44 has been the Motorsports Scholarship for Black Students. "We wanted to help make a pathway into my sport for people from more diverse backgrounds. Every one of the scholars in the first group has worked unbelievably hard and I'm so happy to say have now all secured jobs in Formula 1," explains the seven-time world champion. "I met them at Silverstone this year and they were so excited about the future and getting to work in Formula 1. I'm so proud that we've been part of their journey."