Weekend Argus (Saturday Edition)
Mix it up in dazzling Met style
Fashionistas come out to play for Cape’s biggest race, writes WENDYL MARTIN
RACING season is upon us as the big hats, fascinators and overthe-top ensembles come together for this year’s running of the J&B Met next Saturday. This year’s theme, Made for the Mix, is wide open to interpretation – from mixing patterns, mixing cultures and mixing drinks, to mixing occupations, or just not mixing at all.
Much of the action will be going down at the Racing It’s a Rush General Access Village, the by-no-means basic area for general access ticket holders. This year sees a price cut for these tickets too, down from R200 to just R125 each.
The area will host a performance by Mi Casa, a draw to win a R500 000 diamond pendant from eDiamond, performances and DJ sets at the Good Hope FM and Schweppes Gig Rig and food trucks dispensing Indian and Latino food, as well as trackside views and seating.
The gig rig in the village will also be the venue of the highly contested most elegant couple competition.
Phumelela Gaming marketing manager Michael Varney said: “It’s important to sustain our general access tickets. We have allocated a track area and there will be lots of shade. For R125 you could win a diamond pendant.”
The intention is that the experience will keep people coming back.
And if the racing village concept works, the plan is to roll it out to other racing events. Already, triple the number of tickets have been sold this year compared with the same time last year.
Varney said international news crews were showing interest, including CNN, which has a racing magazine show called Winning Post.
For those who are lost when it comes to placing their bets, make sure to get this year’s race card because it includes a beginner’s guide. For those wanting to sneak a peak at the horses, make a date for Thursday morning, when they’ll be doing their pre-race gallops, sans regalia.
Thami Silwana, marketing manager for J&B in South Africa, said: “There are 1 001 ways to interpret this year’s theme. It speaks to this stance of whisky... loosened.”
The event will feature drinks made with the new variant, J&B Met Urban Honey Aperitif.
For his Met outfit, Silwana’s considering mixing Zulu, Scottish, Chinese and Xhosa elements. “It’s fluid, even your company can be your mix.”
Meanwhile, on the fashion front, designers are hard at work.
Wayne Govender, of CSquared, mixed checks with polka dots in a monochrome palette as an example for a look for the men.
In another look, he mixed velvet textures with plainer textures in an ensemble that paired a printed blazer with shorts. Shorts are in for formal looks, so you can stay cool next weekend.
Govender hints that a single pattern outfit for “Made to Mix” could be the unexpected trendy look at the Met.
“Go find old things for made to mix. You want to be unique and glamorous. These could be in your granny’s cupboard or in a secondhand store.”
● General admission tickets are at Computicket, selected Cock ’n’ Bull stores and designated totes around Cape Town.
Twitter handles for more interaction are @JBScotchSA and @Racing_itsarush.
See www.jbscotch.co.za or call Kenilworth Racecourse at 021 700 1600.