Cheltenham legends crash Paris Fashion Week to mannequin jockey silk tracksuits on runway
A Paris Fashion Week audience was left stunned after Cheltenham legends hit the catwalk in tracksuits inspired by jockey silks.
Ruby Walsh, Matt Chapman and Mick Fitzgerald went from the racecourse to the runway, gatecrashing the event to showcase the new PP Collection – a bold and eye-catching range of tracksuits styled on the most famous silks in horse racing.
The stunt was orchestrated by Paddy Power ahead of this week’s Cheltenham Festival.
Fashionistas gasped “ooh la la” as the ready-to-wear and first of its kind collection, described as Spring/Summer’s latest athleisure trend, lit up the runway in the French capital.
The show celebrated the unmistakable colours worn by jockeys for generations – designs steeped in racing folklore but rarely seen beyond the track.
Paddy Power teamed up with leading jump jockey Harry Cobden to reinterpret four sets of iconic silks as modern streetwear, blending horse racing heritage with high-fashion attitude.
Among the inspirations were the legendary green and gold hoops of JP McManus, whose colours have been carried to more than 80 Cheltenham Festival victories and three Grand National triumphs since first appearing in the 1970s.
Also reimagined were the instantly recognisable pink silks with bright green spots of the Ricci family, worn by stars from Willie Mullins’ yard and associated with countless winners since their introduction in the early 2000s.
Another design paid tribute to Gigginstown House Stud, whose maroon silks with a white hoop, white star and white cap have become synonymous with elite Irish National Hunt racing, famously sported by champions such as Tiger Roll and Don Cossack.
Completing the quartet were the yellow and black checked silks of Joe and Marie Donnelly, colours closely linked with top-class jumpers trained by Willie Mullins, including multiple Cheltenham Festival winners.
The iconic runway moment – which marks the boldest move yet of racing and fashion colliding – sets the bar for the evolution of sport fashion combined with everyday culture, and the continued popularity of athleisure among a new generation of fans.
With street style part of the very core of Paris Fashion Week, the collection was also showcased across the beautiful backdrop of the city, delivering a host of wardrobe inspiration for the brighter months ahead.
Harry Cobden said: “Racing silks are some of the most recognisable designs in sport. They’re bold, colourful and each one tells a story about the owners, the horses and the history behind them.
“Racing is changing with so much fresh energy and style, so why not bring that into culture where silks can take to the streets and set new trends.”
Paddy Power added: “Paris Fashion Week is used to seeing some pretty outrageous outfits, but even they might not have been ready for racing silks to crash the runway this season!.
“These colours have been part of racing history for decades – worn by champions at Cheltenham, the Grand National and beyond – so we thought it was about time they got the proper fashion treatment.
“If the catwalk can handle them, the streets definitely can – I reckon they are going to be this year’s cult item to get your hands on”
A limited release of 50 pieces from the collection launched at 10am today (Tuesday 10th March) at theppcollection.com to mark the start of the Cheltenham Festival. Following that, a further 50 pieces will be released if Harry Cobden rides a winner at Cheltenham.
