Haute couture, vintage cars, fine wine at L'ormarins Queen's Plate

There is a strong emphasis on stylish fashion, where the adage “less is more” should not be applied to the fabric used. The dress code is blue and white, and those who interpret it with the most sophistication can win marvelous prizes in the Best Dressed competition. The judges will be looking to one of Hollywood's greatest style icons for inspiration - Audrey Hepburn - and judging criteria will be based on adherence to the colour theme, classical lines and simplicity. Over the top, revealing or loud outfits will not crack the nod here.

Anyone is eligible to win the competition as the judges will not be focusing on celebrities unless they really are the best dressed. Although the panel has not yet been finalised, there will be at least two members of the Glamour fashion team casting their expert eyes over the crowds: “In true Glamour style we'll be looking for individuality and elegance. It's not about the amount of money you spend on your outfit - we know that looking a million bucks doesn't need to cost a fortune. We're after a lust-worthy look that others would admire and aspire to achieve,” they say.

Extending the blue and white theme will be the traditional displays of 11 veteran, vintage and classic cars from the Franschhoek Motor Museum, specially selected based on their colour, and for the flair and glamour they will bring to the event. They include one of the most aerodynamic cars of its time, a 1953 Bristol 403 once owned by collector Waldie Grayvenstey; and a 1911 Lorrain Dietrich, the only one in South Africa and once owned by the Newberry Family of Prynnsberg, Clocolan in the Free State, who were wealthy cattle barons in early 1900s. Experts from the museum will be on hand to explain the history of the cars.

It's quite fitting to have this association with cars and horses, says museum curator Wayne Harley: “The car industry has a lot to thank to the horse drawn coach building industry. The terms used even today are still taken from this industry, for example Alfa Spider - ‘spider' being the name given to an early open light sporty type horse buggy - as well as words like headlamp, dashboard, footbrake, hand brake etc all have their roots in the horse drawn industry. “And not forgetting the most important of all - we still talk about horsepower,” he smiles. “So by being at the L'Ormarins Queen's Plate we are paying homage to a great animal which helped in forming the car industry today.”

The cars will be trucked from the museum at least two days before the event and collected again the day after. “We have moved so many cars that a move of this size is all in a days work for the FMM team and handled quite easily,” says Harley. “Obviously everything is insured and safety and security is top of the list when the cars are being moved and on display.”

The L'Ormarins Queen's Plate creates an atmosphere of luxury, and in the exclusive style lounges, guests will be accommodated in comfort and opulence in a variety of marquees in the Style Lounge Village. A dazzling array of gourmet food stalls, plentiful totes for placing bets, elegant wines from L'Ormarins and viewing areas for an uninterrupted view of the winning horse romping home will be available. Later, as the sun dips behind the mountain and the last race is run, some of the country's best musicians and DJs will take to the stage to entertain the crowds till late.

In addition, Style Lounge VIP Hospitality has been created to ensure all VIP guests can enjoy the ambiance of the Style Lounge Village in the privacy of their own area.

The lounges afford a view of the race track as well as the Village, while the open plan layout allows socialising with likeminded people in a relaxed and comfortable environment. Later, guests can choose to join the crowd and be part of the party or simply view it from the luxury of their VIP facility.

The VIP package includes VIP parking, an entrance ticket, unlimited access to the Style Lounge Village and VIP areas, entrance to the concert featuring Goldfish, Just Jinjer, Gang Of Instrumentals and Shaun Duvet, bar service, and a selection of sushi, canapés and light snacks served throughout the day, as well as many other benefits.

For group bookings of 50 or more people, private areas will be allocated with dedicated service staff and the company or group name at the entrance to the private area.

Entrance to the Style Lounge Village costs R250 and tickets can be booked through Computicket, while the limited VIP packages cost R2280 a person.

For more information and bookings contact Elche Goosen on 011 347 1452/082 225 0286 or email .

A portion of the proceeds from the L'Ormarins Queens Plate will be split equally between two charities: Equine Therapy (www.montroseequine.co.za/) and The Cart Horse Protection Association (www.carthorse.org.za/)

For more information go to, www.lqp.co.za.