With a name like Pegasus World Cup Invitational you would imagine it to be a couture event and it was! On par with Breeders’ Cup World Championships for caliber of horses and fashion!
While Breeders’ Cup fashion over the years has evolved into “couture classic”, Pegasus World Cup would prove to be more “modern couture”. Before attending this 12 million dollar race I imagined the fashion would be chic and sleek with clean lines with the newest, latest, and hottest looks you would see in any designer boutique here on 5th Avenue. And with that said it was! The fascinator(left below)
and Hatinator (right) would be and were, the silhouettes of choice.
I received my first custom order for a fascinator for this inaugural race not long after Breeders’ Cup last November. Naturally it was a Chromie fan looking to see California Chrome beat Arrogate after being defeated at Breeders’ Cup. She wanted a fascinator in Chrome silk colors and one for her friend. The dresses they chose for me to match proved that my vision of Pegasus would be as I suspected, sleek, chic and clean. Other Pegasus ticket holders were thinking this as well and I set to work sketching out my thoughts for these special orders. After they were approved my staff and I realized them. Slowly, more requests came in with the same chic, sleek, clean- lined design. Most had more detail in the cut and construction with very few prints. This was a refreshing pleasure because in my own Spring 2017 collection I had been intrigued by and focused on more sculptural designs – strong structural lines, mostly crisp but with some softer as well. My entire Spring 2017 Collection looks very modern and was perfect for Pegasus. Click here to view our Collection.
The weekend of January 21st I was down at Gulfstream Park, for the Sunshine Million and the Eclipse Awards as I have been for the past 4 years. I am the official milliner of the Florida Derby and I find that weekend has always been a good race day to acquaint myself with the Gulfstream fans as a lead up to the Florida Derby, as well as introduce the general mall visitors who shop at Gulfstream to racing fashion. I also figured I would catch fans coming back to Pegasus and I did.
Gulfstream has always been a very casual track, but a good percentage of race fans do outfit themselves for the Florida Derby and Sunshine Million in dress and hats. This style is typical racing style - an elegant but low-key dress with hat or fascinator. However, at night for the prestigious NTRA Eclipse Awards, women wear cocktail dresses and floor length gowns with the men in black suits and tuxedos. Upon finding my seat, I met Belinda Stronach chairman and president of The Stronach Group who was sitting at my table having a conversation. She had a wonderfully elegant white jump suit on- sleek, modern, with clean lines that inspired me to think this would be a perfect look for Pegasus. Knowing that I needed to send more pieces down to Gulfstream for the event, I decided to pick hats and fascinator from my collection that exemplified this look.
On the big Pegasus day, I arrived early because I had some fans who wanted to meet early to pick up their custom orders. My location for this event was on the 3rd floor of the south tower outside of Christine Lee’s Restaurant. I found this to be a good location near the suites where I could find my main clients. My previous location for other Gulfstream events was in a popup tent along the walking ring where I had access to the racing folks and the casual shoppers. (Gulfstream has a beautiful shopping complex with great restaurants that envelops the entrance making it inviting to enter.) My mission has always been to lure these casual shoppers into learning about the track and its entertainment value through fashion.
Before I finished setting up a few ladies came by, purchasing mostly fascinators. Surprisingly, I found that most were looking for more feminine designs rather than minimal looks. With most women’s dresses being more streamlined in design as I had suspected they would be, it was easy to match something for them. Most of the women also dressed in neutral or solid colors except for 2 ladies who were looking to route for their horses by selecting something in their corresponding silk colors.
One of my favorite looks which would be unusual for me to enjoy at a track was a lady in navy tailored shorts, a white shirt and wonderful navy high heels. She selected our “Cline” in navy.
This fascinator happens to have similar design element as her shoes. “Cline” is a very structural fascinator that happens to be my first piece I designed for my Spring 2017 Collection. With this choice, everything worked perfectly for her - the shape of her face, figure and personality all came together for a clean, sleek, chic, modern look. Perfect for a great sunny day at Gulfstream!
I had a great time at Pegasus like I do every time I visit Gulfstream. They always throw great parties and the music, dining, and fashion experiences that Gulfstream built around Pegasus were amazing and fun! As always the hardworking people who run Gulfstream were open armed and a joy to work with. If you have never been to Gulfstream Park, make it a must-see. It is a beautiful track, and quite the shopping and dining experience, and the racing is not bad either!
