This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.
Royal Ascot creative director Daniel Fletcher on the art of race day dressing
By Shivani Dubey | 17 June 2024 | Sport, Style
On the eve of the 2024 Royal Ascot, Daniel Fletcher, the prestigious racecourse’s first ever creative director, shares his last minute style tips
Britain’s most prestigious racing event of the year is here. Royal Ascot returns for yet another year from 18 to 22 June, and with it will come a display of exceptional high fashion with celebrities and royals showcasing their best outfits — and hats — for the occasion. And with the British racing institute announcing its first ever creative director in Daniel Fletcher this year, it will be interesting to see how the attendees up the ante with their fashion choices.
Daniel hopes that racegoers will “push the boundaries with their own unique style” come 18 June. Whether you decide to mix and match or go vintage, there are plenty of ways to dress for Royal Ascot while also highlighting your individuality and personal style. But what advice would he give to this year’s attendees at Ascot Racecourse?
“I really want to encourage racegoers to embrace their own unique style and creativity this year — and there are so many ways to do it,” Daniel tells Tempus.
Related: Daniel Fletcher announced as first ever creative director of Royal Ascot
“Whether that be styling with accessories playfully with a fascinatingly shaped hat or pairing a dress with a tie to starting with a neutral base that acts a blank canvas which in its simplest form is timeless, sophisticated, and effortless. Be it maximalist or minimalist, it’s the essence of total freedom of expression I want racegoers to embrace,” he added.
So with this mantra in mind, here are some of Daniel Fletcher’s race day style predictions to provide some inspiration and insight into the art of dressing for Royal Ascot.
Androgynous Style
With tailoring continuing as a trend from season to season, androgynous style is set to be a large fashion choice for the ladies as the classic trouser suit from the 70’s makes a resurgence in today’s style — something Daniel has carefully translated into Royal Ascot’s Lookbook 2024 with one look featuring a full tailored Vivienne Westwood ensemble.
Related: Michelin-star chef Lisa Goodwin-Allen talks Royal Ascot and her comfort foods
Milliner Resurgence
With the likes of Zendaya wearing Stephen Jones at the 2024 Met Gala and Anya Taylor-Joy rocking large-brimmed millinery at Cannes Film Festival — 2024 is the year for incorporating stylish hats into more and more occasion looks, particularly at Royal Ascot. If racegoers need some more inspiration, the Millinery Collective from Royal Ascot contains designs which have been created as one-of-a-kind pieces from some of the world’s most established milliners like Stephen Jones, Noel Stewart and Awon Golding. 
Vintage/Circular Fashion
We all know sustainable fashion has experienced a significant step-change in recent years — particularly with the rise of resale and rental platforms, in-turn influencing wardrobes and modern-day style. In this year’s Lookbook, Daniel pays homage to this movement by featuring sustainably conscious designers such as Stella McCartney and Vivienne Westwood as well as rented and vintage items — encouraging racegoers to re-wear or rent for the races this season.