It was a fashion affair and the stakes were high at the Betway Summer Cup, which took place on the 30th of November at the Turfontein Racecourse in Johannesburg. The highly anticipated event delivered on its promise of staging a dazzling celebration of racing, fashion and entertainment
Hosted by 4Racing and Betway in collaboration with Glamour South Africa, the event brought together fashion lovers from different corners of the globe. With a R6 million prize fund up for grabs, the atmosphere was electric and the weather made way for a day of mingling and wins across the board.
This year’s theme ‘Silks in the City,’ brought a sophisticated fashion and racing twist to the event, playing on the lively and colourful jockey silks to inspire chic fashion and dynamic experiences throughout the day. The 2024 theme design cleverly uses the colours of the last five Summer Cup winners to spell out the word ‘SILKS’ – whilst also paying homage to the iconic Brixton Tower.
Speaking to the collaboration between 4Racing, Betway and Glamour, CEO of 4Racing, Fundi Sithebe affirmed that this highlights the fashion element which translated well on the black carpet. “It’s a fashion meets fun, entertainment and horse racing moment. It’s a spectacular combination for December!” Dressed by Craig Jacobs, her yellow A-line dress brought a fun, vibrant element to the black carpet. Expanding on ‘Silks in the City’, she said, “It’s a such a fun theme! Apart from the silks of the owners that the jockeys wear, it’s about bringing out the best of fashion. My dress is not quite silk but it’s lace. It’s still luxurious!”
The dynamic location provided the perfect setting for designers to showcase their collections including Founder and Creative Director of Imprint ZA, Mzukisi Mbane. Known for his bold approach to design which celebrates African luxury, he said, “my collection was inspired by the theme and storytelling around the Betway campaign. So it’s a lot of colour, print and flow.” Affirming that it was important for him to be a part of the event, he asserted that the day is about fashion as much as it’s about horse racing. “It’s also about being visible in the right spaces where your stories get to be told and heard by the right people.” His take on ‘Silks in the City’? “It just made sense! We do horse racing everywhere but when it’s here, it’s all about us and presenting the city in a different light.”
Adding his voice to the conversation, multi award-winning couture designer, Jacques Lagrange said, “I love women to look beautiful, confident and extra sexy. So ‘Sex in the City’ vs ‘Silks in the City’ is what the models wore and I think they look fabulous today.” Speaking to the horse racing meets fashion moment, he enlightened that he wanted to show people that you can look beautiful, elegant and still feel comfortable. You have to be comfortable on a day like this!”
Glamour’s Women of the Year Fashion Designer Game Changer Award Winner, Kat Van Duinen was also amongst the renowned designers who showcased their work on the black carpet. “Today I’m presenting ostrich feathers. As you know, I’m very passionate about materials coming from South Africa and the continent. South Africa is the largest producer and exporter of Ostrich feathers in the world, and I think they blend very well with races. I also hope to see more locals wearing local.” Expanding on her take on the theme, she said, “my approach is producing locally, what is produced overseas. Championing African luxury is something I’ve taken upon myself for the past 15 years. I do believe that we can craft on the same level as global fashion houses.”
Beyond the black carpet, fashion aficiandos showed up in their bold interpretations of the theme. The moment of truth came when the judges announced the best dressed couple, male and female.
Lifestyle and broadcast heavyweights, BET Africa (DStv channel 129) added their name to the impressive list of event partners for this year’s event. “The Betway Summer Cup is not only an event with great history, but also one that is trending in the right direction. The BET audience is youthful and geared towards sophisticated lifestyle and entertainment events, and the Betway Summer Cup fits the bill perfectly for a partnership,” said Monde Twala, Senior Vice President, General Manager and Lead, BET International.
The SABC radio and television platforms were welcomed back as a partner for 2024 Betway Summer Cup. Providing coverage of the racing, fashion and key moments throughout the day.
Mi Casa headlined the half-time show while the Summer Garden area hosted an after-party featuring broadcaster Zweli Mbhele, Ms Cosmo, and the FunkItUp DJs, including Chrizz Beatz and Vin Deysel.
VIP guests took to their marquees where entertainment, food and drinks were the order of the day. After a day of serving looks, ladies took off their heels and reported to the dance floor. The night skies covered Johannesburg as attendees bid farewell to a day of horse racing, fun and fashion as they danced the night away.
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