topic: clace, charles' clothing line
In a 2019 Italian interview with Motorsport.com, Charles reveals that he's about to kick off his own clothing line. Later that month, he elaborates on his vision:
"I’m starting a fashion company and I’m committed to looking for eco-friendly materials to replace what was previously made of plastic. In the past I wouldn’t have thought of it, but today there is a greater awareness of these issues!”
source: motorsport.com
This would be discussed further in an ESPN article:
Between races he has started dedicating some of his spare time to developing a fashion brand. If that sounds familiar, it’s probably because Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton has been working with Tommy Hilfiger for the past year to develop his own collection of clothes. Leclerc says that his plans are not yet on the same scale but that he is looking to build his brand as a project alongside his racing.
"It’s only something that I enjoy doing when I’m at home with the small time I have,” he said. “I do it with the people who are helping me with this project, and that’s it. For now, it is only the start. Lewis is doing an amazing job with his collection, and it is getting bigger and bigger for him. But for me, for now, it is only a small project and it is only the beginning.”
Unlike Hamilton, Leclerc is not penning the designs himself. “I tried for the first month, but I decided if I wanted a successful thing to leave it to someone who does it better!”
source: espn.com
Charles is photographed over the next few months wearing prototypes:
And then... nothing. The line is never launched. During a COVID livestream, Charles says: "'When is CLACE coming out?' For now it's not coming out. For some reasons I can't. But maybe we can manage to do something else, even more interesting. We'll see." Anyway, Seb-- in his unemployed manic pixie driver stage-- is quick to set the record straight. In a Drive to Survive episode, Seb manhandles a blushing Charles as he explains that Ferrari and their sponsors shut it down:
