What a weekend.
Saturday 10th and 11th marked Longines Irish Champions Weekend 2016, at Leopardstown and The Curragh respectively.
It was a brilliant two days for horse-racing fans and as with any race meet in Ireland, there was a very high standard of style too.
Given the extent of the prizes up for grabs, it’s no surprise that ladies and gentlemen alike turned up in their very best outfits.
For day one at Leopardstown, there were two style events, the Champion Hat and the Prize for Elegance.
The five finalists in the hat competition are pictured above, each piece more show-stopping than the last.
Creativity, elegance and individuality was the name of the game here and Geraldine Shalvey, wearing a Davina Lynch piece took home the title for the inaugural Champion Hat event.
Dublin native Geraldine was awarded with a two-night stay in the 5-star Merrion Hotel along with two magnums of Moët & Chandon.
Next up was the Prize for Elegance with five male and five female finalists.
Again, the style stakes were high and in the end, Ciara Murphy, from Dunboyne, Co.Meath, and Lawson Mpame, who currently resides in Dublin, were announced as this year’s winners on day one of Irish Champions Weekend.
Ciara’s Chanel-inspired garb, a bouclé skirt suit and oversized black hat, was so graceful and Lawson wore a sharp navy and white ensemble.
Ciara purchased her suit in Ted Baker while Lawson’s tailored blazer was a limited-edition piece from Boohoo Man.
The winning duo’s looks can be seen in full below in a photo with Style Ambassador for the weekend, Jessica O’Gara.
Ciara won a stay at the Merrion, a shopping spree in Louise Kennedy’s flagship store and a Longines timepiece while Lawson will be suited and booted at Louis Copeland alongside his classic Longines watch.
Then it was off to The Curragh for day two of the popular racing festival.
The Prize of Elegance was the main event here and there were a huge number of entries for the competition.
It might have been windy but that didn’t deter racegoers from getting their finery on and posing up a storm.
You can check out the finalists in both the male and female categories below.
In the end, Anna Maguire, who hails from Rush, Co.Dublin, was the female winner while Athlone’s Chris Bonini was awarded the number spot among this year’s male entries.
Anna, a talented dressmaker made her own look: a beautiful jumpsuit with matching jacket while Chris opted for a Ted Baker blazer and Topman trousers.
Of course, the prizes were equally fabulous on day two with Anna winning a year’s complimentary hairdressing at David Marshall Hairdressing, a Kildare Village shopping spree and a Longines timepiece.
Chris will also have the chance to splurge at Kildare Village, a voucher for David Marshall Hairdressing and a timeless Longines watch.
All in all, it was an incredibly stylish weekend and if you didn’t attend this year, the winners are there to provide inspiration for next year’s Irish Champions Weekend.
