Awards at Longines Irish Champions Weekend
Leopardstown Racecourse will stage a ‘Champion Hat’ competition on day one of Longines Irish Champions Weekend, on Saturday, September 10th, to celebrate the growing art of millinery in Ireland. The Champion Hat competition, sponsored by Moët & Chandon will be solely judged on the hat or headpiece inviting entrants to be as creative or as subtle as they wish.
The winner of this innovative style competition will receive a luxurious two-night stay in the 5-star Merrion Hotel along with two magnums of Moët & Chandon. Broadcaster Rachel Wyse and Cathy Donoghue, Fashion and Beauty editor of her.ie will be on hand to judge the Champion Hat Competition. Rachel will also choose the most elegantly dressed man and woman attending the first day of Longines Irish Champions Weekend at Leopardstown Racecourse as part of the weekend’s Longines Prize for Elegance style competition, which boasts a prize fund of €25,000.
Her.ie Fashion and Beauty Editor, Cathy Donoghue explained what the judges will be looking for: 'Longines Irish Champions Weekend is a major date on both the style and racing calendars and an amazing opportunity for up-and-coming Irish milliners. Creativity and elegance are two essentials for racing fashion and the winner of The Champion Hat will have that in spades!'
Leading Irish milliners Aoife Harrison, Jennifer Wrynne and Martha Lynn attended the Champion hat photocall on location in The Merrion Hotel. Martha Lynn, who studied under Philip Treacy and Stephen Jones, commented: “I was delighted to be involved in the launch of the Champion Hat. I think it’s an exciting new project and I would encourage people to get involved. Be creative and brave! I’m really looking forward to the style at Longines Irish Champions Weekend.”
Maria Estivariz, Moët & Chandon Brand Development Manager and sponsor of the Champion Hat competition said: “Moët & Chandon are delighted to sponsor the Champion Hat competition and to partner with the premier racing and fashion event in Ireland – Longines Irish Champions Weekend at Leopardstown.”
With millinery fast becoming a growth industry in Ireland, the number of Irish milliners has been growing exponentially. Many Irish millinery businesses have grown from modest roots in a small studio into full-scale businesses that distribute in retail outlets and export abroad via online web sales. The aim of Champion Hat sponsored by Moët & Chandon at Leopardstown Racecourse is to create a platform whereby creativity and the art of millinery is celebrated as well as to provide exposure for Irish milliners to showcase their creations.
Pat Keogh, Chief Executive of Leopardstown Racecourse, said: “We are very excited to introduce a new fashion concept to day one of Longines Irish Champions Weekend - the Champion Hat sponsored by Moët & Chandon. We love to support and highlight indigenous Irish businesses like Milliners who provide employment locally and are important to our fashion industry domestically and abroad.”
Entrants can pre-register for Champion Hat on the Leopardstown Racecourse website - www.leopardstown.com.
Those who pre-register for Champion Hat will be in with a chance to win one of five Champion Bundle tickets to Leopardstown Racecourse on Saturday 10th September, which includes admission, a €10 food voucher, a €5 Tote bet and a racecard.