"Unfortunately this decision forces us to intervene on fundamental areas of the car's design in order to be able to compete on an equal footing with some of the teams, " he told the Press Association.

CNN: Brawn GP win F1 legal battle over diffusers

His response, in 1999, was to step back from his ready-to-wear design duties, handing the reins to one of his young designers in order to focus on a new project: A-POC, which stands for A Piece of Cloth, a revolutionary seamless tubelike fabric.

WSJ: Progressive Dress | Designer