Certainly a highlight every year, the J&B Met 2015 took place at Kenilworth Racecourse on 29 Jan 2015, but the festivities started the day before for me and a few friends. The amazing folks at African Pride Hotels graciously invited me to spend the weekend at their luxurious 15 on Orange Hotel. The J&B Met 2015 saw hundreds of horse-racing and fashion enthusiasts join some of South Africa’s most celebrated personalities enjoy an afternoon of entertainment. I was joined by talk show host Khanyi Mbau, media personality Jen Su, comedian Siv Ngesi, actress Boity Thulo, TV personality Leigh-Anne Williams, TV personality Maps Maponyane, media personality Lalla Hirayama and so many more at the exclusive J&B Met Main VVIP Marquee to enjoy amazing food and entertainment. With so much happening all at the same time, we wondered off to the prestigious Racing It’s A Rush VIP Marquee to spend some time mingling with Cindy Nell, Liezel van der Westhuizen and many more. The fashion was incredible and fantastically imaginative with best dressed couple prizes and entertainment by MiCasa. Thank you Hilton Weiner for dressing me to J&B Met 2015.
j&b met 2014 – made to conquer!
With the theme Made to Conquer, the J&B Met 2014 held at the Kenilworth race-course in Cape Town drew record crowds all dressed to the nines! Celebrities including Lalla Hirayama, Bonang Matheba, Maps Maponyane, Jennifer Su, Minnie Dlamini and Poppy Ntshongwana to name a few flew down to Cape Town from all over the country to indulge in the festivities. So many interpretations of the theme this year, it as all about fashion, design, style and most of all celebration as J&B pulled out all the stops to create a VVIP experience. The Sunglass Hut Inner Circle Marquee once again claimed the top spot for some of South Africa’s biggest personalities, with a VIP experience that included good music, courtesy of DJ Sox, good food, drinks and each guest received a R2000 Sunglass Hut gift voucher to purchase sunglasses on the day. I stopped by the Sunglass Hut marquee to catch up and have a few laughs with Janez Vermeiren, Wedaad Adams, Bailey Schneider, Cindy Nell, Gina Myers, Graeme Richards, Boity Thulo and Sue Duminy to name a few. Thank you Sunglass Hut for a fantastic Inner Circle Met experience!
More photographs at Denzil Jacobs Facebook.
Special thanks to The Little Hattery, Hilton Weiner and Sunglass Hut for my outfit (custom designed waist-coat & hat by The Little Hattery, belt, trousers & shoes by Hilton Weiner, sunglasses by Sunglass Hut, accessory by Louis Vuitton).
Special thanks to Spoilt Hair Salon for styling my hair as well as for styling my partner for the event, Proposal Planner, Tammy Cameron‘s hair.
J&B Met 2014 Cavendish Square Fashion Competition
To enter, LIKE & SHARE (on Facebook) this J&B Met “Made to Conquer – Dress Victorious” photo of my ensemble for actress Natalie Becker (Dress by Mari & Me, Jewelry by Zervos Jewellers)
Winner announced 27 January 2014, at 12pm.
the j&b met ‘sunglass hut inner circle’ vip experience
The annual J&B Met took place last Saturday at the Kenilworth Race Course where celebrities, hours-race enthusiast and fashionistas celebrated in style. This year, Sunglass Hut pulled out all the stops to create a VIP experience like no other at their Sunglass Hut Inner Circle VIP Marquee.
Jeannie D, as elegant as ever, enlisted the fashion expertise of Gert-Johan Coetzee to design her breathtaking ensemble. Miss South Africa 2011 Melinda Bam arrived with Mr South Africa 2011 Adriaan Bergh at her side, dressed by Peter Bondesio who designed her Miss Universe gown, “So proud to wear him, he always makes me feel like a princess,” says Melinda. Other celebrity guests included, actress Lee-Anne Summers wearing an elegant French Connection FCUK dress and Lee-Ann Liebenberg wearing a stunning Gavin Rajah ensemble.
Guests were spoiled at the Sunglass Hut tent, as champagne, canapé and deserts were served the entire day, with vibrant party music filling the air. Jennifer Su, dressed by Hip Hop Fashion with accessories by Joya Collection and Cindy Nell looked radiant while SABC3 Top Billing‘s Janez Vermeiren and Jonathan Boynton-Lee looked suave wearing classic aviators.
Television and radio personalities including Isidingo‘s Jay Anstey wearing a dragon-themed dress by Gert-Johan Coetzee, Boitumelo Thulo, Expresso Show‘s Graeme Richards, Tanya Nefdt and Ayanda Tini also dressed to the nines for this fashionable event.
Leigh-Anne Williams, in her second ensemble change for the day, looked spectacular in a little black number with feather detail, whilst model Lisa Cowley opted for a classic navy blue look.
Soccer players Ryan Botha and Matthew Booth,who arrived with his lovely wife Sonia indulged in the afternoon’s spoils. Ty Keogh, dressed by Tiger of Sweden arrived with Nicole Flint dressed by Charlene Sauerman and The Wild co-star Keenan Arrison. Bringing a dash of colour, Brand Ambassadors PR owner, Thulane Hadebe added some spice to his Met-look. Katlego Maboe went for a fairy-tale interpretation of the ‘Made To Fly’ theme, with a Aladin inspired look and Brigitte Willers looked amazing in a white ensemble by Kobus Dippenaar with a petit fascinator to finish this elegant look.
It was all VIP treatment at the Sunglass Hut Inner Circle tent at the J&B Met as we all celebrated well into the evening.
Special thanks to Cavendish Square and Stuttafords for dressing me for this event as well as African Pride Hotels 15 on Orange Hotel for hosting me.
Special thanks to Sunglass Hut!
celebrities talk j&b met ‘made to fly’ fashion
The theme to this year’s J&B Met is “Made To Fly” and I talk fashion with some of the most fashionable celebrities in South Africa at the luxurious African Pride 15 on Orange Hotel in Cape Town. “I think you can do a lot with it, the Met always create great themes,” says Miss South Africa 2009 Nicole Flint. Enlisting the talent of up and coming Cape Town fashion designer Victor Cook, who specializes in bridal and evening wear, Nicole talks a bit about her custom designed Met dress drawing inspiration from the use of color and fabrics, “I thought of a butterfly, that was the basic inspiration. This year I’m going to have fun, it’s such a great day… it’s about fashion and having fun.”
IT-Man of the moment and GQ’s Best Dressed Man 2012, Ty Keogh shared some of his thoughts about the Met and fashion styles for men and ventures a guess that perhaps the modern man in South Africa may stray from the obvious ‘big feather ensembles’, “I think its going to be step away from the ‘bird theme’, I think a lot of guys are gonna go for light airy summery looks,” says Ty, hoping for not too many white suits. Giving just a hint of what to expect from him this year, Ty eludes to a more aviation-inspired look, enlisting international clothing brand, Tiger Of Sweden, “I wanted to wear Tiger, because they cut a very sharp, clean image which is in line with my idea of aviation.” Painting a picture of the tailored style and masculinity held by pilots, Ty says, “That is where my mind goes to in terms of “Made To Fly”. It’s an iconic style. I like that clean cut classic look, so I’ve gone with an avian white combination. I’m going for clean, sophisticated and classic. Not over the top, if there’s any color, it’ll be a small amount to compliment my lovely date’s outfit.”
Top Billing presenter Jonathan Boynton-Lee may be making an appearance at the Met this year too and had this to say about the Met, “This will be my first time at the Met, I’m very excited and keen to see what it’s going to be all about.” Undecided about how he’ll interpret the theme, Jonathan mentions Markham, “The Signature Markham Store in Sandton have a great selection, that will fit quite nicely with the theme.”
“Summer… Summer colors, very flirty, very feminine, very fresh, with a hint of feathers and sunglasses by Sunglass Hut to complement my outfit,” says actress Natalie Becker as she plans to have fun with her ensemble this year and the ‘Made To Fly” theme.
Only one day left to perfect that J&B Met Made To Fly ensemble!
the ‘sunglass hut inner circle’ at the j&b met
The Sunglass Hut Inner Circle Met Marquee returns this year and is poised to be the place to be, and be seen, at the J&B Met. With the largest selection of designer sunglasses in South Africa, Natalie Becker, Janez Vermeiren, Jeannie D, Ty Keogh, Ayanda Tini and Ryan Botha were among a select group of celebrities who were spoiled for choice by Sunglass Hut yesterday. Offering brands including Prada, Ray Ban, Dolce & Gabbana and Persol, Sunglass Hut is the perfect destination to find that pair of sunnies to add the finishing touch to any Met look or ensemble.
Visit www.innercirclesunglasshut.co.za for details and to purchase your ticket for R1700 (which includes a R2000 Sunglass Hut gift voucher) to this exclusive marquee and rub shoulders with some of the biggest names in South Africa. Follow @SunglassHutSA on Twitter and use the hashtag #SunglassHutMET!
cavendish square made to fly fashion challenge
Last week Cavendish Square invited 10 top local media personalities to participate in their annual “Made To Fly Fashion Challenge” in conjunction with the J&B Met. Personalities Jennifer Su, Natalie Becker, Tanya Nefdt, Ayanda Tini, Jasna Zellerhoff, Leigh-Anne Williams, Carl Wastie, Charl Reineke, Tracey Lange and myself were enlisted to create the ultimate J&B Met ‘Made to Fly’ ensemble, using fashion from 10 of Cavendish Square’s fashion retailers. Participating fashion retailers at Cavendish Square included Sunglass Hut, Stuttafords, Attitude, Nicci Boutique, Chica Loca, Monsoon, Long Street, Mari & Me, Diesel, Michiko London and Forever New. In addition, fashion design students from Fedisa, South Africa’s Leading Institute for a BA Degree in Fashion, showed off some amazing interpretations of the J&B Met theme this year.
For a chance to win VIP Tickets to the J&B Met and an overnight stay at Aquila Game Reserve (inclusive of 3 meals, 2 game drives and accommodation in a 4 star premier cottage), the public are encouraged to vote for their favourite outfit. Voting by entering on www.cavendish.co.za or by tweeting the name of the celebrity you are voting for, plus the name of the Cavendish retailer that their outfit is from and include the hashtag for the event #CavendishMet. The competition opens during the afternoon of 25 January and will close on 31 January at 10am.
Please vote for my style ensemble on Twitter: @denziljacobs! Thank you!
mom-to-be, kia johnson
Mother to be, Kia Johnson is expecting her first baby with her fiancé, who postponed their wedding plans until after the baby is born. It’s an exciting time for Kia, “thrilled” to start a family. The SABC3 Expresso Show presenter and producer has had quite a start to the year, winning ‘Best Hat‘ at the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate horse racing event in January and the announcement of her pregnancy just weeks later. Keen to show off her baby bump, Kia was spotted at the J&B Met 2012 looking “fashionably pregnant” and radiant in yellow. Kia plans to share this experience with the public, with a the initial announcement live on the Expresso Show, so stay tuned to the breakfast show for more about her pregnancy. See photos at JustForTheNostalgia on Facebook.
Click here to follow Kia Johnson on Twitter and follow her pregnancy!
sunglass hut inner circle luxury at j&b met 2012
It was pure luxury at the Sunglass Hut Inner Circle marquee at the J&B Met 2012 as guests were spoiled for choice with a complimentary pair of sunglasses of their choice, decadent snacks and champagne. Jo-Ann Strauss, Jeannie D, Jennifer Su, Natalie Becker, Janez Vermeiren with his beautiful fiancée Juliana Vasconcelos and PSL Goalkeeper, Ryan Harrison were amongst the prestigious A-List guests invited to spend the day in style with good music, lounge area and great company.
Also at the premiere marquee was blogger and radio personality Richard Hardiman, socialite Toolz and blogger Marco (aka Man Of Cloth) dancing to the styling beats of Vanessa Holliday and DJ Sox. It was clear that Sunglass Hut Brand Manager Wedaad Adams and General Manager Mike Elliott spared no expense to redefine the J&B Met experience.
A phenominal day at the J&B Met with Sunglass Hut!
Additional images courtesy of Sunglass Hut & Raymond Cox
the j&b met 2012 ‘made different’
The J&B Met was certainly ‘Made Different‘ this year, with ensembles created from pure imagination showcasing South Africa’s unique talent and incomparable fashion. With the race well underway and many poised to bet on their lucky horse, Jeannie D took our breath away wearing a simple, elegant and timeless dress by Kluk CGDT. Adding a dash of colour, Jo-Ann Strauss, wearing a gorgeous Stefania Morland dress, dazzled. Wearing a whimsical fascinator, Jennifer Su selected the perfect pair of red Dolce & Gabbana sunglasses from Sunglass Hut to compliment her stunning dress by House Of Fashion as she joined Jo-Ann Strauss, Janez Vermeiren, Cindy Nell, Ryan Harrison and Natalie Becker at the Sungless Hut Inner Circle luxury marquee, where all things luxury was on the menu.
Looking absolutely stunning in black & white, Bonang Matheba graced the SABC marquee along with television stars including Kia Johnson – who recently announced her pregnancy, Leigh-Anne Williams, Zikhona Sodlaka, Boitumelo Thulo, Charles Tertiens, Chantal Stanfield to name a few.
There’s always just a little something special in the air when Miss South Africa, Melinda Bam makes an appearance, and this time was no different as her smile lit up the J&B Met experience just a little more. Winning ‘Best Themed Couple‘, Emma & Francois King, showed off their specially designed look designed by Stephan of Ilan and Francois dressed by Woolworths,