CHARITY - OLD FRIENDS- HATS OFF TO THE HORSES DERBY HAT

Old Friends Hats Off To The Horses: The Road to the Kentucky Derby
"Black Tie Affair Hat"  1 in a series of 6 by Custom Millinery Maggie Mae Designs®

About The Hat:
Because his coat was originally a gray that has become increasingly white over the years, a soft silver dupioni silk and silver silk organza were used for the hat itself with a combination of silver, white, red, and black trimmings to highlight this stallion's markings as well as his racing silk colors.  The silver dupioni silk hat foundation is layered with wavy alternating silver, soft gray, and white silk organza brims which offer a stunning edge to the brim and gives a feeling of movement to the entire design.  And what could be a more perfect hat trim to honor this horse with than a black bowtie! Created in fine black silk, this bowtie conjures up visions of some fancy black tie affair. Tiny red silk organza roses, a red satin lining, and the top white silk organza brim layers are reminiscent of Black Tie Affair's red racing silks. The swirling black dot veiling reminds us of this great stallion's dapple gray coat of earlier days.  Finally, to add a bit of elegance to the back side of the hat, a single red silk rose curl with silver silk organza leaves offers the perfect finishing touch and makes this one of a kind chapeau a stunning statement from every angle!  Estimated retail value is $700 - $900.  Winning bidders, please allow 2-3 weeks for delivery of your hat in order to ensure proper sizing.
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Original Press Release:
Custom Millinery Maggie Mae Designs® has joined forces with Old Friends, the Thoroughbred Retirement Facility in Central Kentucky, to create an unparalleled online shopping experience: “Hats Off to the Horses: The Road to the Derby.” 

On November 1, 2009 Old Friends will auction the first of six elegant Kentucky Derby Hats handcrafted by acclaimed milliner Sally Faith Steinmann of the Massachusetts-based Maggie Mae Designs®.

Each of the six Steinmann pieces will be inspired by one of the 70 retired racehorses pensioned at Old Friends’s Dream Chase Farm in Georgetown, KY.

“Hats off to the Horses: The Road to the Derby” will offer a new, one-of-a-kind millinery creation for bid each month, with all of the high-fashion action leading up to the most exciting two minutes in sports.

Ms Steinmann is donating each of the hats, and 100 percent of the online proceeds will go to Old Friends, the 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization (recently featured in the Aug. 24th edition of the New York Times) founded by former Boston Globe film critic Michael Blowen.

Steinmann has been making hats for Derby and many other racing events since 1998. Her designs were seen in the winner’s circle in 2008 when Big Brown captured the Run for the Roses. Her life-long love affair with horses has inspired her to create this matchless collection of Derby Hats to benefit Old Friends.

“Making hats is a passion,” said Steinmann, “but the horses are too, and with this project they are intertwined for me.

I have been wanting to do an exclusive fundraiser with just one equine-welfare organization for a long time,” adds Steinmann. “I had been corresponding with Alex Brown, who runs ‘ABR’ a horseracing website, and he suggested Old Friends–he couldn't possibly have known that they were my dream choice,” she laughs. “I was thrilled that Michael Blowen was excited about the idea, too.”

“It’s an honor to be working with Sally on this project,” said Blowen, who launched the facility in 2003. “Her work is exceptionally beautiful, and the hats will be fitting tributes to the great athletes we have retired here. We are so grateful for her generosity.”

The first hat on the block will celebrate Old Friends retiree Black Tie Affair.  The now 23-year-old stallion won the Breeders’ Cup Classic in 1991 and subsequently the Eclipse Award for “Horse of the Year”. His earnings on the racetrack exceed $3 million.

For this superlative athlete Steinmann has crafted an extraordinary chapeau. A foundation of luscious silver dupioni silk and silver silk organza has been layered with waves of pale silk organza brims.

The hat is, naturally, highlighted by…a black tie. Created in bold silk, the bowtie trim is adorned with red roses that recall the horse’s stable colors and a swirling black-dot veil that “reminds us of the lovely dapple gray coat he had during his racing days,” said Steinmann.   The chic finish: a single red rose curl on the backside. “This final touch,” adds Steinmann, “makes the hat a stunning statement from every angle.”

Similar designs by Steinmann have sold for $700-900.

One doesn’t have to be a racing fan to know that wearing a sensational hat to the Kentucky Derby is a long-standing tradition. From the owners, trainers, and Hollywood celebrities sitting on Churchill Downs’s famed Millionaire Row, to the madcap toppers seen in the infield, the “Derby Hat” parade is as fundamental as the post parade on the First Saturday in May.

Even if you’re not Derby-bound, the Black Tie Affair hat would make an elegant addition to any formal ensemble.
 
 “I’m so excited about Hats Off to the Horses”, said Steinmann. “I can't think of a better way to celebrate the Derby and raise money for Old Friends all at the same time!”

The Black Tie Affair hat will be up for bidding for ONLY ten days beginning November 1, 2009.

Interested bidders can see the hats for sale and learn more about Steinmann by visiting www.maggiemaedesigns.com.

Each month's hat will be available for bidding on the first day of every month through April 2010.   Freight charges for shipping the hats will be at the expense of the winning bidders.

Horse not included!  Thanks to Equisportphotos.com for their use of BLACK TIE AFFAIR'S photo. 

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About Old Friends:
Old Friends is a 501c3 non-profit retirement and rescue facility for pensioned Thoroughbreds. We bring at risk racehorses--those whose racing and breeding careers have come to an end--to Old Friends, provide them with the dignified retirement they deserve, and open the space to the public. By promoting these one-time celebrated horses through a campaign of education and tourism, we draw attention to all retired Thoroughbreds and all equines in need.

We are the only rescue / retirement facility that accept thoroughbred stallions, & so we take exceptional pride in our pensioned champions, among them 1988 Eclipse-winning Turf Champion, Sunshine Forever & one of  the last great sons of Damascus, Ogygian.  In addition to our pensioned stallions, Old Friends is home to some very deserving retired mares & geldings.  Old Friends hosts two to five tours daily and while our guests come to visit a few ex-racehorses, they leave having been touched by the heart of a Thoroughbred hero.      www.oldfriendsequine.org   Donations made to Old Friends are tax deductible under fullest extent allowed by law.  Old Friends EIN# is 20-0049798