Royal Ascot, for me, is the pinnacle of the British Summer Season. I find the juxtaposition between the sporting excitement, the exquisite fashion, and the Royal links exhilarating. It is such a wonderful day out for the entire family, whether they are seasoned horse-race goers or not, as the atmosphere epitomises Great British excellence. I adore how everybody who attends puts their best foot forward; Royal Ascot is not only about Group One Horse-Racing but it is also a catwalk of glamour and elegance that celebrates British brands.

More than this wider provenance, however, Royal Ascot is a hugely personal event for my family. Both my grandparents and parents have been in attendance as Royal Enclosure members for generations, and it has been an occasion I have looked forward to each year since my childhood.

My approach to dressing for the event is to strive for timeless and classic silhouettes thatcelebrate British craftsmanship. I tend to look back at archives and icons over the years, drawing inspiration from different eras to encapsulate a look that celebrates femininity and elegance with a touch of royalty. Witnessing how my Grandmother and Mother dressed for this event over the years has also been a huge inspiration for me in my approach to dressing for the event, and I hope that over the years of attending Royal Ascot, my outfits will remain ageless and enduring in style.

I could not be more excited about the look for this year’s Royal Ascot. It is, like other years, consistent with a classic style and inspired by vintage looks, but it is wholly unique as it is inspired by and made from my wedding veil.

The idea originated while I was envisioning this year’s look and the fabric I wished to incorporate. I wished to create a full lace look, but could not find the perfect swatch. My mind kept wandering back to my wedding veil, and its lace veil, which was in a bag in the attic. It was at this point that I thought how wonderful it would be to rewear this incredibly sentimental item, not only giving it a new lease of life but also celebrating the importance of circular fashion in a luxury and bespoke way. It has been incredibly emotional working with The Modiste team to re-sculpt my veil in order to re-wear an element of the most important day of my life. To be able to continue wearing the fabric and to make new memories at such a significant place as Royal Ascot is very special. 

In addition to the lace, I wished the finished piece to be reminiscent of the 1950s silhouette. My fashion icons are Grace Kelly and Audrey Hepburn. I love looking at the lines of these styles and being clever with shapes so that we can recreate the movement of these outfits in a contemporary manner. The dress this year consists of a corseted style that cinches at the waist before opening into a midi-length skirt. The bodice consists of a fully bespoke corset into an exquisite pair of Cornelia James lace gloves, mother of pearl buttons on the back and, of course, my bespoke Suzanne Neville wedding veil lace. It is going to be accessorised to perfection with Boodles Pearl Earrings, Halcyon Days Bangles, a Launer London Handbag, Guianvito Rossi Heels, Longines Watch and of course my bespoke Vivien Sherriff Hat.

We had to ensure that the Royal Enclosure dress code standards were met. We considered the length of the dress and the style of sleeves very carefully in the design of the outfit, as well as the style of hat that would accompany the outfit. I am delighted to have also been working with Vivien Sherif on this to ensure the entire look is not only striking, but also cohesive and utterly memorable. Like the outfit itself, the hat plays on old-school glamour mixed with modern angles, rendering a vintage-inspired piece contemporary and editorial. 

The evolution of my wedding gown was certainly a journey. I was incredibly lucky to be a Suzanne Neville bride, and I still have to pinch myself when I look back at my wedding photographs. I had a quintessentially English wedding, and I feel my dress reflected this: from the cathedral-length train to the off-the-shoulder lace sleeves. It was truly ethereal, bespoke and my absolute dream. 

My bridal look was quintessentially English and drew on style elements inspired by Royal weddings while upholding the emotions of romance and whimsicality; I hope these components have also transferred into the aesthetic of my Ascot look.

This transformation will be executed by the wonderful Jenny and her incredibly talented team at The Modiste. They created a beautiful bespoke gown for me last year, and they specialise in bespoke dress making, dress alterations and wedding dress modifications. When I decided I wished to rework my wedding veil, I knew it had to be The Modiste and that Jenny would understand my vision and reuse my veil in a respectful but creative and utterly magical way. 

Absolutely. Investing in high-quality items that can be reworn and restyled for multiple years and occasions is very important to me, and it inspires a large part of the content I create from YouTube Vlogs to Instagram Reels. I even borrow and restyle pieces from my Mother’s wardrobe, as there is nothing quite like a vintage, timeless piece. Recently, I created a series where I styled my mother’s and late grandmother’s hats with more contemporary dresses to show how vintage and modern can go hand-in-hand while still re-wearing and re-styling. I think generational accessories – particularly with events such as Royal Ascot – are so powerful and truly tie in with the history and heritage of the occasion.

It’s a combination of two things. The first is that you have to individually love every single item you are wearing. So much so that if you were wearing that item, and that item only, it would sing by itself. Secondly, the tiny details matter. It is so important to put thought into every single moment – from the jewellery and the hat to the lip gloss and nails, each element should come together in true harmony to ensure you are the best dressed guest. 

Circular fashion is such an important and exciting movement and absolutely has a place in the world of occasionwear. As aforementioned, it is not necessary to buy a new outfit or item for each event in the year, and then the same again the next year. I always look at my own wardrobe first, and then my mother’s when choosing an outfit for an event. I have also thoroughly enjoyed using rental websites such as ByRotation and Hurr. The concept of sharing a huge wardrobe with so many like-minded people is so exciting, and the community within circular fashion is so wonderful. It truly pushes back against the ‘wear once’ culture and allows people to experiment with styles without contributing to fast fashion. 

It is also important to mention that when I do buy a new item, I always consider how many ways I can style it as well as the versatility of the piece in terms of occasion. I am a huge advocate for investing in quality and pieces that can be reworn and restyled, not only for a plethora of different events, but over many years and even generations. In essence, it is about building a wardrobe that can be reworn and recreated, and that serves so many purposes and makes YOU feel fabulous. 

Yes, it is such a big movement and people are really on-board with not only buying luxury items second-hand but also with re-wearing luxury pieces they already own. People are having so much fun reimagining vintage items in contemporary settings and I love seeing how people celebrate styles of the past in the modern day. 

What a good question! I have beautiful pieces of jewellery from my Grandmother, which are hugely sentimental to me and I might consider resetting in the future.