ENTERTAINMENT
FROM
RUNWAY TO
RACECOURSE
BY BYRON LUKAS
Weeks have passed since Greyville Racecourse welcomed some of South Africa’ s biggest names in racing, fashion, and entertainment, but the conversation surrounding the 2026 Hollywoodbets Durban July is far from over.
From jaw-dropping couture and celebrity sightings to thrilling racing action, Inbound SA had the opportunity to mingle with the stars at one of South Africa’ s most talkedabout lifestyle and sporting events.
FASHION THAT TOLD A STORY Every Durban July begins with one big question:“ What will everyone wear?”
This year’ s Country Allure theme inspired designers to blend rural elegance with contemporary glamour. Mzansi made the theme its own, producing one of the event’ s most creative fashion showcases in recent memory.
Mlungisi Ndlovu from the Durban University of Technology was named the winner of this year’ s Young Designer Award.
Flowing silhouettes, dramatic tailoring, handcrafted embellishments, and bold millinery dominated the racecourse. Earthy colour palettes were elevated through luxurious fabrics and contemporary styling. The event once again demonstrated that the Durban July is as much a fashion showcase as it is a horse race. It gives established designers and emerging creatives an opportunity to present their work on one of South Africa’ s biggest style stages.
94 INBOUND SA / AUGUST 2026