DESIGNING SILKS FOR GLORIOUS GOODWOOD ALICE TEMPERLEY ON GOING HER OWN WAY AND LEAVING LONDON FOR A FRESH START

ROSALIND POWELL

- 

When the female jockeys come under starter’s orders at the Markel Magnolia Cup during the Goodwood Festival later this week, they’re likely to be some of the best dressed ever seen on a racecourse.

The 12 amateur riders taking part in the women’s race, which is now in its 12th year and has raised £2.1m for charity since its inception, will be wearing silks created by one of the Princess of Wales’s favourite fashion designers, Alice Temperley.

A riot of colour and dazzling patterns, the jackets and matching hats incorporate some of the most eye-catching prints from Alice’s archives – vibrant flowers in pinks and reds, emerald-green swirls inspired by agate crystals, and animal prints in orange and gold, a signature look of the Temperley London label.

“All the prints have worked quite hard for us, and they’re part of our DNA,” says Alice, 47, whose celebrity fans include Beyoncé, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kate Moss.

Meanwhile, the other Kate is reported to have worn her outfits on at least 15 occasions.

“I’ve always wanted to go to the Goodwood races,” the designer adds. “People dress up, it’s colourful and upbeat, and I was flattered to be asked.”