Okapi and Millerner to reclaim race-day style at the L’Ormarins King’s Plate

In the annals of British history, race days were as much about social hierarchy as they were about the horses.

Born in the Georgian era, these events became opportunities for the aristocracy to flaunt their wealth and refinement.

Accessories were the currency of this fashion theatre: feathered bonnets, ornate gloves, and cameos adorned with family crests spoke volumes about one's social standing.

By the time Queen Victoria presented the first silver plate in 1861 — a trophy that would inspire the name of SA’s L’Ormarins King’s Plate (formerly: Queen’s Plate) — the spectacle of accessorising was entrenched in the DNA of race-day culture.

When the British colonial influence spread to the Cape, these traditions were adapted to a new landscape. White gloves and lace parasols were reinterpreted through local lenses, but the accessories of the era carried undertones of exclusion, serving as markers of who belonged and who didn’t.

Today, as the L’Ormarins King’s Plate (LKP) takes centre stage on the first Saturday of every January, these colonial relics have been reimagined as a sartorial reclamation and celebration of African creativity and craftsmanship.

There’s something distinctly modern — and unapologetically South African — about how race-day accessorising has evolved, as local attendees have donned their traditional garb over recent years, including Zulu isicholo (wide structural hats), Xhosa umbhaco (striped garments often worn as shawls/skirts), and Ndebele idzila (intricately beaded neck rings), seamlessly integrated with their contemporary blue-and-white ensembles to present a unique interpretation of heritage.

Once rigid and rule-bound, the LKP is now an expression of individuality and cultural narrative, with local brands like Okapi contributing tastefully to the conversation.

Their latest collaboration with milliner Lyndon Miller of Millerner exemplifies this shift, merging the old-world charm of a structured hat with the playful, vivid artistry of Zimbabwean designer Whitney Halsted.

Few accessories encapsulate the pomp of race-day dressing like the hat. In the Victorian era, millinery was an art form dictated by etiquette; the size of a brim or tilt of a feather could symbolise everything from marital status to political allegiance.

By the mid-20th century, the rise of ready-to-wear fashion democratised the accessory game. Hats became smaller but no less significant, with fascinators — their less practical but more decorative cousins — emerging as the headwear of choice for events like the LKP.

However, the Okapi x Millerner collection doesn’t just bring hats to the table — it brings a full suite of accessories. Think fascinators, silk scarves, ties, cufflinks, and boutonnières, all featuring Halsted’s whimsical watercolours.

Fans of The Devil Wears Prada might recall Miranda Priestly’s iconic “cerulean monologue,” where she schooled the uninitiated on the trickle-down power of a well-chosen hue.

At the upcoming 2025 L’Ormarins King’s Plate, cerulean gracefully steps aside to give the spotlight to lapis, proving once again that fashion’s most compelling stories are told in colour.

“Lapis” — which you might’ve heard in passing during that iconic monologue — is a deep, mesmerising blue hue. At the heart of this collaboration is Halsted’s use of hand-ground Lapis Lazuli, a semi-precious stone sourced from Southern Africa.

“I have absolutely loved working with Whitney on this collection,” says Miller. “The L’Ormarins King’s Plate is such a fun day and to be able to bring through this element in the collaborative Okapi LKP accessories collection has been so joyful — a feeling I hope everyone taps into when wearing one of these pieces on the day.”

Halsted’s designs, rendered in lush strokes of lapis, imagine jockeys in their silks racing alongside African wildlife: cheetahs, ostriches, blesbok and, of course, the mythical Okapi.

The incorporation of lapis lazuli is no coincidence. Long associated with royalty and sacred art, the stone’s inclusion is both a nod to its historical prestige and a reinvention of luxury through an African lens.

This ethos seems to be echoing across SA design. Brands like MaXhosa and Pichulik have long been redefining what luxury means in a local context, weaving cultural pride into every thread and clasp. A fascinator adorned with ostrich feathers isn’t just beautiful — it’s a tribute to one of the Cape’s oldest industries. A silk scarf printed with images of blesbok and cheetahs isn’t merely an accessory — it’s also an homage to the region’s biodiversity.

What therefore makes the Okapi x Millerner collection stand out is its ability to blend these cultural and natural elements without veering into kitsch.

 Accessories have always been a part of race-day style, but what makes this collection a must-have, is its statement of how far SA design has come.

So, as the L’Ormarins King’s Plate approaches, the stakes are high — both on and off the track.

Race-day enthusiasts eager to integrate this year’s accessories into their well-considered ensembles can now find the Okapi x Millerner LKP collection at the Merchants on Long flagship store in Cape Town.