LONDON — Gabriela Hearst has pressed her archive of prints into action to create 12 jockey silks for the annual Magnolia Cup race on Ladies’ Day during Qatar Goodwood Festival, which takes place July 30.
Hearst is the latest designer, after Vivienne Westwood, Sarah Burton, Roksanda Ilinčić and Mary Katrantzou, to design silks for the charity race, which sees amateur jockeys ride at Goodwood Racecourse in West Sussex, England.
The jockeys take on months of intensive training in order to ride in the Ladies’ Race. Previous jockeys have included Edie Campbell and the television presenter Rosie Tapner. They ride on a racecourse that is part of the 12,000-acre Goodwood Estate, which is owned by the family of the Duke of Richmond.
The 12 silk patterns represent different periods in Hearst’s career. They feature tropical South American flowers with a shaded effect; Sonia Delaunay-style polka dots; a menagerie of extinct insects; riding boots arranged in a chevron pattern; dried flower crowns, and a newspaper print dotted with red roses.
Gabriela Hearst silks for the annual Goodwood Ladies’ Day Race.
They are made by Allertons, a specialist in bespoke jockey racing silks.
Although Hearst grew up riding horses — she was born and raised on her family’s 17,000-acre ranch in Uruguay — she wasn’t specifically thinking about her four-legged friends when creating the Goodwood silks.
“Everything I do comes from the ranch — it’s always there in the way I dress, the boots I wear. Everything is around that world,” Hearst said in an interview. Designing the silks, “was something I did authentically.”
She said she wanted to take part this year, because the race is “wholesome and fun, and empowers women — you don’t have to ask me twice about anything that empowers women. And I was so happy discovering this world of Goodwood. You don’t see people in their phones, you see families together and feel the obsession and passion of people. Goodwood has a quirkiness, and a great historical value as well,” she said.
Charles Gordon-Lennox, the Duke of Richmond and Gordon, said Hearst’s “deep connection to the equestrian world brings unique authenticity to this collection. The women taking part have committed themselves wholeheartedly to their training in aid of Education Above All, and these special silks are a tribute to their dedication. A pioneer of sustainable luxury, Gabriela is uniquely positioned to create these silks with unmatched vision and integrity.”
The Ladies’ Day race is officially known as the Markel Magnolia Cup and the festival is presented by Visit Qatar in the United Kingdom.
The five-day festival is considered a highlight of the British flat racing season, and is known here as Glorious Goodwood. This year it takes place from July 28 to Aug. 1.
Goodwood said the Ladies’ Day race has raised more than 3.2 million pounds over the past 13 years for charities that support women around the world. This year’s charity, Education Above All (EAA) Foundation, aims to transform lives through education and employment opportunities, unlocking the full potential of every child and youth.
