If you’re a girl who loves motorsports, this woman-owned brand is perfect for your next viewing party, racing event, or photoshoot. The Grandstand Project brings a new era of Formula 1 fashion specifically geared towards female fans.
The Grandstand Project aims to make sports fashion for women in an industry where it barely exists. Instead of scrounging for supplies to DIY an outfit or altering a jersey to make it fashionable, the LA-based brand offers paddock-inspired pieces that will be sure to turn heads at the track.
Sherry Ma, the CEO of The Grandstand Project, reignited her love of racing after previously shielding that aspect of her life. The introduction of the brand highlights not just a love of fashion, but also a reminder to be loud about your love of the game.
“It was an interest that I suppressed for a long time,” said Ma. “Very slowly did I start feeling comfortable enough to have that be a part of my identity that I was willing to share.”
Ma created The Grandstand Project to cater to women in the motorsports community, where female-geared merch is scarce. Courtesy of @sherryxma on Instagram.com.
Many young girls are not supported in their love of sports, which causes a massive decline in female fans. Ma didn’t let this stop her, instead using it as motivation to be the change she wanted to see herself.
“If you don’t get the support to even like it in the beginning, that’s the problem,” said Ma.
Ma attended the inaugural Las Vegas race, where she discovered a massive problem. There was barely any merch marketed toward women, even when the fanbase is so actively growing each day. For the city that never sleeps, the fashion game is extremely important.
What began as a realization quickly turned into inspiration. The brand kicked off with its inaugural Vegas collection, showcasing a variety of F1-inspired leather looks. While some would argue that launching such a unique first drop is too ambitious, it proved successful for The Grandstand Project.
“I had this idea already of what Grandstand could be, and I felt this urge to show the world already what we could do,” said Ma. “We wanted to make a splash and grab peoples’ attention.”
The Vegas collection serves as a love letter to the car community and highlights all of the things we know and love about Formula 1. The handmade leather pieces are the perfect attire on and off the track, reflecting the iconic paddock looks seen during race weekends.
The brand’s inaugural Vegas collection captivated fans. Lindsay Diller, Kalen Bull, Era Hampton pictured posing in the Mercedes-inspired looks. Courtesy of Elaine Tantra.
The Grandstand Project stands out from the rest, with curated looks made specifically to represent different teams. Each piece is produced in Los Angeles and highlights the importance of sustainability in the fashion industry, where mass production is so common.
“I don’t want to be adding to the fast fashion issue that is going on, especially with merchandise for event wear,” said Ma.
The brand’s focus isn’t only on female consumers, but on highlighting and promoting women in motorsport. In fact, 3% of all sales are set aside to support women in motorsport. There are women in countless series all around the globe, showing just how important it is that they are highlighted.
“I have very big dreams for Grandstand. It’s meant to support women. We’re designing for the female fans, but ultimately, I want to be able to support drivers.” said Ma.
As a new brand, the birth of these designs stems from more than just a love of clothing; it also stems from female inclusion in the sports industry. Along with their collection, The Grandstand Project also launched “Our Real Project” to explain to their customers the vision behind the brand.
“Our Real Project” aims to highlight female empowerment and entering male-dominated spaces that were formerly not available to them. Ma’s motivation to open up about her love of motorsport came from online, finding a community of women who shared the same interest in the sport.
The LA-based brand reflects paddock looks and the iconic teams that Formula 1 fans love. Courtesy of Isabella Margolis.
Ma has those same hopes for consumers of the brand. The main takeaway she wants her customers to have from her overall vision is to be active participants in the sports community and share those passions with like-minded people.
So what’s next for The Grandstand Project? After a successful launch with the Vegas collection, it seems the brand is only going up from here. With hopeful plans to branch out into other areas of motorsport, possible new collections, and collaborations coming up, there is a lot to expect from Ma and her team.
Edited by Reese Dlabach
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