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Models showcase various designs on the ramp during the Durban July Fashion show

From Melissa Mpofu in Durban, South Africa
Dress trashy, look cheap, ignore the theme and be guaranteed of having a nightmarish experience at the Vodacom Durban July where partying, champagne, food, beautiful horses and fashion are the order of the day.

Durban July, Africa’s biggest horse racing event held here on Saturday at the Greyville Racecourse, was an affair for the fashion savvy.

While betting enthusiasts had their eyes on the horses, of importance to the hoards who converged on the lush racecourse was the Captain’s Table theme and the fashion shows.

The theme offered a nautical feel to the event with emphasis on the sartorial elegance of a dinner on a cruise.

Unlike similar racing sports in Zimbabwe – OK Grand Challenge and Castle Tankard – where people are given a theme and deliberately ignore it, most who attended the Durban July adhered to the Captain’s Table theme, with celebrities and the who’s who of South Africa’s upper echelon including Bonang ‘Queen of everything’ Matheba, actress Sophie Ndaba and musicians Stone and DJ Tira putting their best feet forward to look the part.

It was all things fashion on the main stage with a series of fashion shows hosted by the Durban Fashion Fair which ran concurrently with the enthralling action on the race track.

There, up-and-coming and established designers promoted their works through the different showcases which also provided race fans with the perfect summer cocktail.

The shows were also held in preparation of the fashion fete taking place next month.

Commanding a capacity crowd, the race track did not fall short of drama as verification delayed the announcement of the final standings, leaving punters waiting for 10 minutes for the judges’ final decision.

In the end, Stuart Randolph riding Power King claimed victory from Punta Arenas after having been locked in a neck-and-neck tussle over the final few 100m.

That however did not kill the fun as some who attended the event were nowhere near the track as they were there primarily for the fashion shows and parties.

With over 30 party marquees erected on different sites of the racecourse, one was spoilt for choice.

The only setback for some was that one needed an invite or ticket to access most of the marquees as they were manned by different corporates.

Gate-crushers found themselves out of luck as the marquees were well guarded by security details who did not tolerate any uninvited guests.

Some celebrities seemed to have been skipped on various guest lists as they took rather long to gain entry into some of the marquees.

But, it was the SABC, Afrotainment and KwaZulu Natal Village marquees that proved popular. Bonang, a diva loved by many, was SABC’s jewel as fans thronged the TV station’s marquee to catch a glimpse of her.

Never one to disappoint, Bonang wore a bright yellow ball gown which turned many heads.

She periodically went close to fans to chat with a few as she was presenting live. Afrotainment – home to the likes of Durban-based DJ Tira was also a hit as most musicians such as Stone, Durban Nytz, Oskido and Robbie Malinga were housed there, with celebrities such as Boity periodically visiting.

The Kwazulu Natal Village was the ultimate place to be as live performances from Oskido, Professor, Durban Nytz and Robbie Malinga among others were staged. Guests were also treated to fashion shows promoting designers from the Kwazulu Natal province. Popular actresses including Ndaba were also housed in the KwaZulu Natal Village.

The Durban July contributes over R220m to South Africa’s economy, most of which flows from local and international visitors who drive and fly into Durban for the sport, making up more than half of the 55,000 strong crowd at Grevyville Racecourse on Saturday.

Over R100m is expected to be paid out in winning bets