It was all the way back in 1711 when Britain’s Queen Anne saw the potential in the quiet woodland and lush, open green space of East Cote. A heath, she declared, which was “ideal for horses to gallop at full stretch.” Today, that’s home to the world’s most famous race meeting: Royal Ascot.

Over 300 years later, the national institution has unfurled into a full blown fashion affair across five days, drawing over 275,000 racegoers in their sculptural hats and impeccable British tailoring to the manicured grounds. Royal Ascot creative director and Mithridate designer Daniel Fletcher (someone who wears many hats himself) sets the sartorial tone with an annual lookbook, this year, titled ‘The Art of Dressing Well’ and starring model Erin O’Connor in the campaign. Within the guide, traditional dress codes are creatively interpreted to provide a masterclass in elegant dressing.

“I’ve been wearing a mix of tailoring from the likes of Favourbrook, Mithridate, Swaine, Hackett and Edward Sexton, paired with a top hat from Lock & Co, of course,” Fletcher says. “Royal Ascot is one of those rare occasions where people fully embrace the opportunity to dress up, and I always enjoy leaning into that sense of occasion myself. As ever, color has played a part in my looks this year, with touches of the warmer tones we've been championing, including hints of bright tomato [the official color of the year] through ties and waistcoats, whilst keeping everything rooted in classic British tailoring.”

“It’s a day of dressing up, where more is definitely more!” adds O’Connor, who looked elegant and vibrant in a ripe tomato red, textured dress by her dear friend Roksanda, a new feathered hat from Carol Kennelly, Manolo Blahnik heels, and an Aspinal bag. She describes this year’s bold color palette as “regal yet punk, and totally British”—which could also sum up Ascot’s entire festivities. This is the model’s third time at Ascot. “I adore the effort, the sense of play combined with tradition and the people watching is always unbeatable,” she says. “Ascot has been running for so many years, and still truly [it’s] the event of the season no matter who you are, where you are from.”

Across the week, Fletcher made time to walk through all the enclosures—the Royal Enclosure is where you’ll spot the most glamorous VIPs—and see how racegoers have interpreted this year's themes and trends. And of course, making some time to try and get lucky. “I had a winner in the first race of the week with Ten Bob Tony at 50/1, but don’t come to me for any betting tips—I’ve been placing my bets based entirely on the names and colour of jockey silks!”

The designer has been joined throughout the week by friends from across the London creative and social scenes who donned their best millinery. There was fellow designer Tolu Coker in brilliant yellow, actor Saffron Hocking in shimmering, sequin ice-blue, and model Nassia Matsa in lace-up McQueen and a vintage hat. Men also embraced the suave and traditional: Ncuti Gatwa wore a sharp Gieves & Hawkes suit and a Lock & Co. top hat. Other attendees included Betty Bachz, Ikram Abdi Omar, and Harrison Osterfield. A sophisticated Maura Higgins swished by in a custom Sabina Bilenko look with puff-sleeves and a full skirt, elbow-length gloves, and a wide-brimmed bespoke hat by the renowned Jane Taylor. (On Wednesday, too, the Prince and Princess of Wales even made an appearance at Ascot—it was Kate’s first time since 2023, wearing a favorite yellow Roksanda dress.)

Energy and spirits stayed high, winning bets or not, as guests drank Moët champagne and Whispering Angel Rosé, and a sumptuous selection of British canapés and afternoon tea.