Emirates’ English-themed marquee was Flemington’s place to be
Melbourne, Australia: As is the norm, the place to be seen at last week’s Melbourne Cup carnival was the very exclusive Emirates marque, which this year took its inspiration from one of the airline’s most popular destinations, England, and Emirates’ network of English destinations including London Gatwick, London Heathrow, Manchester, Birmingham and Newcastle.
Guests from across the country and the world walked through the Georgian-themed façade into a world where the Newcastle Arms meets the sophistication of Babington House in Somerset and the chic Soho House in London.
Celebrity guests Millie Mackintosh, Olympia Valance, Eddie McGuire, Gillon McLachlan, Rachel Finch, Michael Turnbull, Tim Robards and Anna Heinrich, Lord Mayer Robert Doyle, Her Excellency Governor General Linda Dessau, Kerri-Anne Kennerly, Travis Cloke and Rebeccah Panozza.
“The Emirates Marquee this year was one of our best yet and we looked forward to welcoming all our guests throughout the carnival to enjoy our world-class hospitality and English-inspired experiences,” said Barry Brown, Emirates, Divisional Vice President – Australasia.
“England is undoubtedly one of our most popular destinations and from January next year all eight of our daily flights between Dubai and England will be served by our highly popular A380 aircraft.
“Given the growing demand for our English services, it is a fitting theme for our marquee this year. We were pleased to offer our marquee guests a uniquely English experience paired with our world-class hospitality, which is in line with the service and on-board experience customers expect on-board our aircraft,” concluded Barry.
Guests enjoyed meals at the exceptionally styled sit-down restaurant ‘The Milliner’, offering table service and the most distinguished of English menus, complete with fine linen, Robert Welch silverware, Royal Doulton crockery and adorned with fresh David Austin garden roses. With a menu comparable to Emirates’ First Class standard, guests were able to choose from a selection of traditional English dishes with unexpected surprises such as a ‘Summer Pudding’ of sweet brioche, new season berries, elderflower and vanilla clotted cream.
Alongside The Milliner was an exclusive installation by Hat-designer to the stars, Stephen Jones OBE.
Stephen has designed for the Royal family including Queen Elizabeth II and Princess Diana, as well as for celebrities such as Beyoncé, Rihanna, Kylie Minogue, Madonna, Pink, Celine Dion, Dita Von Teese, Robbie Williams and Nicole Kidman.
“Melbourne really is the place to be for all things racing and fashion,” said Stephen, “My selection of headwear, handpicked for display in the Emirates Marquee, really is a fun representation of some of my key pieces, shipped over especially from my workshop in Covent Garden, London”.
