Are WAGs the New Influencers?

Bonjour fashion lovers,

They used to be called WAGs—wives and girlfriends, mostly of football players, frozen in the paparazzi glare of 2006 World Cup gossip and Louis Vuitton monograms. But something has shifted. And as I scrolled through the paddocks of Formula 1 and the pit lanes of MotoGP, I realized:

The WAGs of today are no longer accessories.
They’re brands. They’re content. They’re influence.

Take Kelly Piquet, for example. Model, mother, daughter of a four-time world champion, and partner of Max Verstappen. With her editorial campaigns and curated Instagram feed, she’s not just “supporting from the sidelines”—she’s shaping fashion narratives on and off the track.

Or Francisca "Kika" Gomes, the girlfriend of Pierre Gasly. A rising star in the world of digital fashion and modeling, Kika blends her fresh, Gen Z aesthetic with a subtle elegance that wouldn't look out of place in a Jacquemus campaign.

Even in MotoGP, the women alongside the world’s fastest riders aren’t just there for the ride. Domizia Castagnini, wife of world champion Pecco Bagnaia, is a fashion buyer with a quiet but curated presence. Francesca Sofia Novello, forever muse to Valentino Rossi, remains one of the most followed Italian fashion influencers today.

These women know the camera. But they also know the algorithm.

What fascinates me is how they’ve turned proximity to motorsport into media power. By blending the masculine energy of speed with personal narratives of style, family, travel, and self-expression, they’ve redefined what it means to be "next to the podium."

They’re no longer the shadow of the champion.
They’re co-creators of a glamorous, digitally-native ecosystem.
They sell sunglasses, books, skincare, and identity—packaged with a front-row pass to speed and adrenaline.

And yes, you can call them WAGs. But it would be like calling Chiara Ferragni just a “blogger.”

The spotlight can be borrowed—but not sustained—without substance.
Being a WAG gives you reach.
But influence? That you build.

Would I ever write about the boys behind the girls on the grid? Maybe. But only if they can do a perfect flatlay, a red carpet caption, and a Dior beauty shelf tour.

Until then,
WAGs are winning.

Always Fashion, Always Black, Always Paris,
Emanuela