It has been two years since it was announced that I would represent Porsche, the worlds most coveted sports car manufacturer, as its brand ambassador—and what a wild ride it has been! I was immediately drawn to the brand—its design aesthetic and performance levels are synonymous with luxury, and its dedication to my beloved sport is endless. One of the things I’ve loved most is the opportunity to help Porsche expand its brand message to women—sports cars aren’t just for men! I jumped at the chance to represent the modern woman: a woman with a successful career and a myriad of passions, a woman who treats herself to luxury, and most of all, a woman who likes to drive her own life.
Porsche has long been an avid supporter of women’s tennis, sponsoring the annual Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart, Germany. The company sponsors the German women’s national team, which competes as the Porsche Team in the Fed Cup, and the Porsche Talent Team Germany, which supports promising young players.
It’s hard to believe two years have passed by so quickly, but needless to say, they have. Here, I want to share some of my favorite moments with you.
The Big Show
The unveiling of the new Porsche Macan Turbo at the L.A. Autoshow was a very memorable moment for me. I helped to debut the new compact SUV amidst a huge crowd at the L.A. Convention Center. The L.A. Autoshow is an experience unto itself; we celebrated the world premiere of the Macan with some friends of the brand, including Patrick Dempsey.
Once a Designer, Always a Designer
One of my most memorable moments with Porsche happened in my hometown of Sochi for the 2014 Winter Olympic Games, where I introduced The Panamera GTS “by Maria Sharapova,” demonstrating personal design touches, individual custom tailoring, and unsurpassed exclusivity. Porsche and I share a love for design, and I was thrilled to flex my design muscles to a luxury sports car for the first time. My know-how has evolved from years with Nike and Cole Haan—and even into my candy collection’s branding as well—but this was the ultimate challenge. I can’t think of a more luxury involvement than being able to customize something as personal as your own driving experience.
Lights, Camera, Action!
Obviously one of the most amazing things about working with Porsche is getting to sample all of the best rides. Just this past December, we did a shoot for the brand’s first commercial in L.A. amidst monsoon-like rains. While the weather definitely threw a curveball at our dedicated crew, the eerily beautiful sky made for some beautiful shots along the beach.
Porsche as a Fashion Fixture
This past August, Porsche celebrated the unveiling of my campaign shots for the Council of Fashion Designers of America’s Fashion Targets Breast Cancer (FTBC) initiative with a major party to kick off New York Fashion Week. A fleet of Porsche Panamera brought me and some of our fabulous guests (including DJ Hannah Bronfman, CFDA President Steven Kolb, Kelly Framel of the Glamourai, and some top NYC designers) to the New Museum on the Bowery.
My Sweet Ride
My affinity for the Porsche brand is boundless. Last year I took things one step further, incorporating sports cars into my own collection of premium candy, Sugarpova. We unveiled “Speedy,” a brand new fruity flavor of yogurt gummies inspired by the iconic Porsche 911. Launched just before the start of the 2014 Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart, Germany, we celebrated the super-accessible sweet treat as well as my birthday—complete with me in traditional German dress and my coaches all in lederhosen at a biergarten!
The Need for Speed
Needless to say, I arrived in style at the WTA Pre-Wimbledon party! I was lucky enough to take the first ride in the new 918 Spyder at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in 2014, but was upgraded in London with my very own personal chauffeur, Australian racing driver Mark Webber.
