Glamour and grace come to life
CELEBS PUT THEIR BEST FASHION FOOT FORWARD Stars tried their best to adhere to the theme.
The Cape Met is considered one of the most prestigious horse racing event in South Africa. The event invites a bevy of punters and celebrities alike. The first Met was held in 1883, and has since had numerous sponsorship changes
A slight lull in horse racing events did take place during the Covid pandemic but it seems that the return to racing and fashion is on the rise again.
This past weekend, Cape Town hosted the 2024 Met.
The prestigious event was hosted at the Hollywoodbets Kenilworth racecourse.
While celebrities were as scarce as a hen’s teeth, guests put their best fashion foot forward, bringing colour to the party with pink and yellow dominant.
Announced best-dressed male was Steven Chukka, who came all the way from Boston, Massachusetts, in the United States.
He wore green pants and green shoes paired with a multi-coloured stripe shirt.
He told The Citizen: “I came out here with the theme being Cape Town opulence and with that, I thought the greenest thing on earth would be Cape Town. So I honoured what the mandate was. I feel amazing and I’m so happy that I won.”
Keoagile Pheleu was announced best-dressed female.
She said this was her first time at the Cape Town Met but winning the best-dressed female did not come as a surprise to her as she always put her best foot forward.
“I’m excited that I won today. The inspiration behind my look was the horse racing. So we went with that.
“We looked at the horse racing and we just created something out of the ordinary. And followed the theme,” said Keoagile before thanking her designer,
Oratile Koka.
The winners each received
R5 000 cash, plus
R20 000 vouchers from Fashion designer Gavin Rajah to create the outfit of their dreams. The prize also included a pampering hamper from Bioderma South Africa and Milkshake Hair. This year’s theme was Cape Splendour, a fusion of glamour, grace, and glory that pays tribute to the horse-racing history of Cape Town.
A few celebrities who managed to show up at the event tried their best to adhere to the theme. Award-winning investigative journalist Devi Sankaree Govender stunned in a floral dress. Actors Siv Ngezi and Anton Jeftha opted for soft pink looks while Loyiso and Jennifer Bala also put their best foot forward with Loyiso dressed in a grey suit paired with a white shirt and Jennifer stunned in a pink dress. The event also featured the work of eight designers, who showcased their abilities between the various races. Craig Port, Kim Govaars, and Kayla Markovits from the Maze collection are some of the designers showcased, including Mpumelelo Dlamini, Sophie Mbuto and Stephen van Eeden.
Rajah said the Cape Town Met is one of the country’s most iconic fashion calendar moments. “The Met has led the pack in terms of what fashion is. It has always been about refined craftsmanship. It also has a historical precedent for supporting fashion in the country and is an event that has developed fashion and young fashion designers,” he added.