Diana Cavagnaro | Fashion Files
Cool as Ever
The Del Mar Thoroughbred Club began their racing season on July 17. This year marked the 75th anniversary of fun in the sun. Hats are a focal point of opening day and the fans come all decked out. It is one of the biggest fashion events of the year. Some of the crowd wears designer hats and others come from all over the country with hats they have made for the famous hat contest.
This year marked the 20th anniversary of the Opening Day Hats Contest with six different categories. There were over 332 entries this year with small hats all the way up to the oversized. Belinda Berry from Walnut Creek entered the Funniest/Most Outrageous category and won the Bing Crosby Grand Prize for a large navy blue polka dot hat.
The Grand prize this year was a five-star getaway at the Grand del Mar valued at $1,500 and a $500 Village Hat Shop gift certificate.
The other first place winners were: Natalie Spaans of El Cajon for the most Glamorous; Melissa Cheng of Carlsbad for the Best Fascinator; and Randy Wilson from Monrovia won the Best racing theme. Lori Shelton won the Best Flowers category for a large red hat. Shelton’s hat included pictures of 18 hats that she had made in previous years.
Downtown residents were among the racetrack goers. Star Johnson and Raquel Razon were wearing Arturo Rios. Debra Kottke, Lena Evans and Carol Schroeder Bertolino were wearing Downtown hat designer Diana Cavagnaro. Leslie Lopez, weather anchor for KUSI News, changed into a different Diana Cavagnaro-Couture Millinery hat each hour on air.
A two-meet racing season begins this year.
The first race season runs through Sept. 3. The second season begins on November 5 and runs through December 5. The exciting news is Del Mar will host the Breeder’ Cup in 2017. Stay tuned! For more information visit dmtc.com.
Upcoming Events
Aug. 8 – 10 | Startup Weekend San Diego: Fashion Innovation is hosted by Comerge Workspace and is located at 330 A St. This intensive 54-hour workshop will teach you the basics of entreneurship. For more information visit: sandiego.startupweekend.org.
Aug. 14 – Couture Syndicate: present FASHION X from 6 – 11 p.m. at Tin Roof San Diego located at 401 G St. This event will include art, music, and fashion. For more info: facebook.com/events/251938241669245/.
Aug. 16 |“Fashion on Pointe”: the 37th Haute with Heart Fashion Show presented by St. Madeleine Sophie’s Center at 11 a.m. The event will be at Hilton San Diego Bayfront, 1 Park Blvd., Downtown. For reservations call Neil Fullerton at 619-442-5129.
—Diana Cavagnaro is a nationally recognized hat designer and milliner, and has been in the fashion business for 30 years. The last 20 of those years she’s operated her business from Downtown San Diego’s historic Gaslamp Quarter, while moonlighting in the Fashion department at San Diego Mesa College. She can be reached at [email protected].
