15 March 2005, DUBAI — BurJuman will celebrate the much-awaited Dubai World Cup this year with an extravagant exhibition, showcasing a range of unique hats flown all the way from Australia, specially for this occasion.

You can visit the 'Paddock' at the Observatory area of the mall between March 15 to March 25 and get the fashion inspiration for the Dubai's fast approaching biggest social event - Dubai World Cup - as this exhibition will also provide visitors the opportunity to purchase some of the unique pieces directly under the supervision of leading milliners, Ms. Waltraud Reiner and Ms. Sabrine Pedder.

Free Hat Consultancy Sessions by top milliner at BurJuman
Consultancy sessions by milliner Ms. Waltraud Reiner will be held on March 15 and March 16 near the Rodeo Drive area on Level 2 between 7pm and 9pm, and will provide hat enthusiasts the opportunity to learn the tricks of milliners and also get tips from them including how to revamp your last season hat, the type of hat that will suit you or your selected Cup outfit, and the latest trends and styles.

Yet another milliner will be offering the public the opportunity to add the final touch to the perfect outfit. Ms. Julie Anne Lucas is known in Dubai for her timeless designs - she sold her entire Cup 2004 collection in 5 days! This year Julie has designed and made over 200 hats, each individually designed which means no two hats are the same. The vast range of both wide and medium brimmed hats as well as fascinators and cocktail hats is available at the Level 2 by Liz Claiborne/Escada.

After studying for a Diploma in Fashion Design and Manufacture in Perth, Western Australia, Julie went on to study millinery in Sydney, and sold her creations in Wrights on Picadilly and The Strand Hatters in Sydney. She has been creating and making hats now for seventeen years.

As part of the mall's World Cup spirit, Jean Paul Gaultier's millinery Couture Collection, can be seen exclusively at Saks Fifth Avenue. Inspired by the Three Musketeers, the elaborate hats topped off the haute couture Autumn/Winter collection 2004/2005 in Paris.

On the day of the World Cup, BurJuman will welcome the race-goers at its large Hospitality Lounge, which will be conveniently located in the Fashion Arena - the centre of all the fashion excitement happening on Race Day - where BurJuman's guests can relax and watch the fashion show by Saks Fifth Avenue in style.

Mr. Eisa Adam Ibrahim, General Manager of BurJuman, said: "The World Cup is not just a sporting spectacle, but a celebration of high fashion at its opulent best. Dubai World Cup not only attracts horse-racing fans from around the world but also fashion aficionados, who display their most fashionable and fanciest hats at the races. BurJuman and its selection of top class brands including Saks Fifth Avenue, Hermes, Louis Vuitton, Loewe, Valentino, Ungaro, Dior, Prada, Chaumet, just to name a few, will assist the fashion connoisseurs with the careful planning involved in 'getting ready for the races".

Veteran milliner Waltraud Reiner, a graduate of Fashion School in Austria was trained under Britain's Royal Milliner Rose Cory. Some of the celebrities that she worked for with the famed Philip Somerville include the Duchess of Kent, Margaret Thatcher, Joan Collins and the late Princess Diana. Waltraud Reiner, who now lives in Australia, uses her amazing creative energy to create amazingly striking hats for renowned events, including the fashion frenzied Melbourne Cup and the Flemington Races.

According to Waltraud, everyone has the opportunity to wear a hat but it is important to wear the right one as a hat could make or break an outfit, especially because it is the expression of a woman's soul. Every hat on display at the exhibition has the right occasion for it. Waltraud is passionate about hats and recently she has explored using handmade and commercial felts in the creation of hats and clothing. She has tried a wide variety of textile mediums, starting from the exploratory stage and moving through to exhibiting with it to further enhance her creative abilities.