Yes, Hats and Fashion Rule at Royal Ascot

Well, Royal Ascot is about the Majesty’s taking home the King George V trophy, Frankie Dettori with another Ascot Gold Cup, but it’s also about Royal Ascot Fashion heroine Iola Gilder.

Winner of the Royal Ascot Fashion Design ‘Cup,’ the 15 year-old Iola Gilder had highly impressed judges with the quality of design, creativity and elegance of her outfit created by LK Bennett.

Under the umbrella of LK Bennett, an Official Sponsor at Ascot Racecourse, Iola chose the fabrics at the London store of LK Bennett HK, before being a guest at Royal Ascot to showcase the outfit.

Iola also helped design her hat, working with leading designer Sarah Marshall of John Boyd Hats, with the student from Garth Hill College saying “Thank you Royal Ascot for the most amazing day!”

“I’m still so beyond happy that I got picked and it has truly been such a pleasure working with LK Bennett and John Boyd, something I never would have been if it wasn’t for Royal Ascot.”

In fact, Royal Ascot states ‘Royal Ascot 2023 again provided a fantastic platform for promoting charitable causes and engaging the community in initiatives around the Royal Meeting.’

“We’re thrilled the Ascot Racecourse Supports programme was again so wide ranging and successful throughout Royal Ascot,” said Jacqui Greet, Ascot Corporate Social Responsibility Manager.

“It is hugely rewarding to be able to use the event to promote some very worthy charities and causes and also engage with the local community in various way throughout the week.”

“We were particularly thrilled with the Royal Ascot Fashion Design Competition this year and delighted that it will have a lasting legacy with Iola set to undertake work experience with LK Bennett.”

With Ryan Moore being unable to match Frankie Dettori as the 2023 Royal Ascot Top Jockey it was his choice of a crowned King Charles that highlighted this year’s Ascot Schools Art Competition.

As Ascot Racecourse Supports ambassador Ryan Moore invited the winners of 1,100 entries from 20 schools to Royal Ascot on the Saturday to meet and form a Guard of Honour for the jockeys.

In also supporting the Armed Forces Charities of the Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charity, ABF Soldiers Charity and RAF Benevolent Fund they again were partners of Royal Ascot 2023.

All three charities were on site on the Wednesday and Friday to dovetail with the ‘2 for 1’ ticket offer that was extended to serving military personnel, with charity volunteers bucket collecting.

Ascot Racecourse will also be making a donation from the sale of certain food and beverage items in the week, in addition to a donation of 1% of sales on the Wednesday and Friday.

Not only was Hayley Lewis a loss-maker for bookmakers on winning the Britannia Stakes on 6/1 second favourite Docklands, but bookmakers also donated £277,000 to the Britannia Stakes Charity.

The B&G Council pledge was shared across SportsAid, Holocaust Educational Trust, Cystic Fibrosis Trust, SAS Regiment Assoc, Ascot Racecourse Supports and Together ‘Looked After Children.

On the Monday before Royal Ascot, 19th June, Ascot welcomed over 200 guests from more than 25 local charities and communitys to enjoy a trial lunch service at their Fine Dining restaurants.

With the guests enjoying exquisite meals from various celebrity chefs as Ollie Dabbous, Simon Rogan and Sally Abe, it was a special day-out not only for the benefactors, but was very helpful for the Ascot team to test and prepare for the week ahead.