Cars, but Make It Fashion

Ferrari is more than just a car company — it’s a lifestyle.

Or so said John Elkann, the chief executive of Exor, the parent company of Ferrari, at a sports and fashion event held by The New York Times in Paris this month. But in a world in which Formula 1 and fashion increasingly mingle, it prompts a question: Is there another car brand that could have a similar journey from the road to the runway? Exor, after all, also owns Stellantis, which in turn owns Alfa Romeo, Maserati and Citroën, among other brands.

Mr. Elkann, the man behind the 2021 introduction of Ferrari’s high-end fashion line, said it was unlikely that such brands could make the leap to lifestyle. Ferrari started creating luxury cars in the 1940s as a way for its founder, Enzo Ferrari, to finance his racing passion. It has long been more than just a car company, he said. “It’s a unique company of its own.” To this day, it does not spend any money on advertising.

He did, however, acknowledge perhaps one exception: Jeep.

While Jeep and Ferrari clearly have different vibes, both are among the world’s most iconic and recognizable vehicles and both have been automotive mainstays since the 1940s. Like Ferrari, Jeep has a unique brand and could tap into the identities of people who imagine wearing their adventurous and outdoor spirit on their (literal) sleeve. Jeep already sells apparel, including hats, T-shirts and water bottles. Most of the branded clothing is under $250. The most expensive items in its online store are its watches, with prices as high as $1,500.

Through a spokeswoman, Mr. Elkann declined to comment further about Jeep, emphasizing that there were no concrete plans for a Jeep-branded fashion line and that he had mentioned Jeep as a brand with a strong identity and a strong following — qualities needed for brand diversification.

It is true that Ferrari’s apparel is in a different price range. Since its 2021 runway show at its factory in Maranello, Italy, Ferrari has produced multiple collections, most recently a line of resort clothes and a Miami capsule collection that includes $1,490 aquamarine-colored silk shorts with a matching $1,690 shirt — each with a large, colorful image of Ferrari’s famous horse.

“We have gained more and more creativity,” Mr. Elkann said at the Times event. He said that the company aims to make products that are “uniquely Ferrari.” Some of the items include materials recycled from cars. (For the event, Mr. Elkann wore a jacket made of recycled tires over a T-shirt with a large Ferrari logo, naturally.)

For now, Mr. Elkann’s attention is on Ferrari and widening the brand’s appeal beyond Formula 1 fans and car enthusiasts, focusing especially on building its female clientele. Women already make up the majority of Ferrari’s clients for its high-end fashion pieces, Mr. Elkann said. The opportunity to expand beyond that already exists: In China, more than a quarter of new sports car clients are women, Mr. Elkann said.