Da RACING code!
DNA after hrs
Sunday: November 28, 2010
REIN APPEAL:
The high-fashion racing season swings into the city with a new ‘formal dress’ rule; said to have all-time high prize money and a Hollywood star too
Tara Sharma poses with a horse
Ismat Tahseen
It’s earmarked on society calendars asa whole season of elan really, for from this month until April, Mumbai will play host to exclusive horse races, the Derby included. And, this year, those martinis, mint juleps and millinery apart, equestrian lovers will have to deal with a new code: formal-esque, ascertain races will require folk to be in their spiffiest (earlier, except the Derby, one could be in smart formals)! Says Vivek Jain, chairman, RWITC (Royal Western India Turf Club), “This year the races get bigger, with all-time high prize money crossing Rs20 crore! And, in order to bring a sense of decorum, a formal dress code will be imposed during the main races — which include the four Indian classics, the Invitational Cup and the Derby weekend.”
Paddock pret
“I love being at the races and luckily for women ‘formal’ can be a bit ambiguous so my long summer dress and hat can fit right in,” says actor Tara Sharma, who owns a few race horses as part of a syndicate with friends. Corporate head honcho Adar Poonawala says he and wife Natasha are passionate race-goers and is all for the formal rule. “My father is a firm believer in dressing that way at the paddock,” he says, while Natasha adds, “Horse owners, breeders and racing enthusiasts are very well turned out so a formal code works well. Adar likes to wear day suits to the races and I love to experiment with different hats and glamorous dresses.” Entrepreneur Haseena Jethmalani too heralds the code. “People are usually very badly turned out at the races and just treat it as an evening out. So,while it’s good to have glamour, it must be of the right kind. I’d go with a chiffon sari with pearls or a dress in neutral shades.”
DRESSING UP FOR THE DERBY: Natasha and Adar Poonawala - Nisha Jamval & Preity Zinta
Designers decode Derby style…
Azeem Khan
Look: Jackets and throws.
Accessories: Hat and cigars/ pipes, lace gloves.
No-no: Shorts.
Pria Kataria Puri
Look: Bandhgala, jodhpurs, pastel dresses with a statement hat or sarees.
Accessories: Hat, bag, sunglasses.
No-no: Ill-fitted hat, denims.
Lina Tipnis
Look: An ivory shirt with horse-shoe print.
Accessories: White bag.
No-no: Jewelled tones, bling.
Maheka Mirpuri
Look: A linen suit and a printed dress.
Accessories: Thicker heels.
No-no: Black dress.
Hollywood gets racy?
The buzz is that for the first time a Hollywood star (who is coming to India for a film) will attend the races. “Yes, this is our endeavour. We are in talks with producers for this actor and depending on his shooting schedules we will look forward to having him,” affirms Jain. Hmmm…now why does the name Sylvester Stallone come to mind?!
