Dubai: Tall, feathery hats in every colour of the rainbow, flowing dress and meticulously-chosen high heels. The 19th edition of the Dubai World Cup at the Meydan proved itself to be more than just a horseracing attraction, putting the UAE on the map as a hub for trend-setting elegance from around the globe.
Korozana Celoj of Albania was clad in a beautifully handwoven, knee-length and fitted beige dress featuring muted colours, black knit and golden embroidery. The timeless piece was envisioned by her mother, popular Albanian designer Titiana Isaj. Isaj also created her daughter’s hat, covered in lavender, pink, and pistachio roses and rimmed by ostrich feathers, in the span of nearly two weeks.
“I just came here for this occasion — I have some friends who live here,” she said. “Everything [in my dress] is made by hand — nothing is material, it takes a lot of time to do this. I chose it because it’s very oriental.”
Meanwhile, German native Susan Sauer, who has been to the event for nine years running, calls herself an avid horse lover, travelling from Ascot in England to DWC in the UAE. She was dressed in an elegant, cream-coloured and loose-fitting dress, but it was her fuchsia pink hat with looming striped feathers that stood out — purchased from England.
“I’m travelling especially from Germany to Dubai,” she said. “Of course, every year, new hat!”
Parisian Air France attendant Sarah Mokdad went all the way to America to find her flowery A-line dress, hunting for two months for the perfect summery piece to shimmer and shine in. The silky material was splattered in bright yellow, aqua and orangey hues that matched her orange fascinator and orange wedge heels.
“I’m here especially for this — I arrived here yesterday with my family, it’s my second time. Now we know how it works,” she laughed. “You see my dress is colourful? Life must be colourful! I got it from New York, but I’m from Paris. Nonsense, isn’t it?”
For Mokdad, and many other trendy hopefuls travelling to Dubai especially for DWC, the Jaguar Style Stakes fashion competition was a highlight.
At the Style Stakes, the Best Dressed Lady was set to take home a brand new Jaguar F-TYPE Convertible for a year while the Best Dressed Man and Best Dressed Couple categories would receive a variety of prizes from Jaguar and other sponsors. Other categories were Best Hat, Most Creative Hat, and Longines Most Elegant Lady — the latter coming with a prize of a 42-diamond Longines Conquest Classic timepiece.
First time judge Jessica Kahawaty, the second runner-up of the 2012 Miss World and the face of Yahoo! Maktoob, said this year they were looking for elegance.
“It’s very diverse,” she said of the international crowd. “You have all shapes and sizes. I’m looking for originality and class - we’re looking for someone who really upholds the essence of the brand.”
