Royal Ascot launches its first online shop and lines up new premium British brand partnerships

Ascot Racecourse has launched a suite of new licensed product collections for 2021, with a selection of premium British brands and its first online shop through a flurry of deals brokered by IMG.

In a landmark moment for the racecourse, The Ascot Shop was launched in April and represents Ascot’s first e-commerce offering. Beyond the eight on-site stores managed by IMG, Ascot and Royal Ascot collections will now be showcased and available for consumers to purchase globally throughout the year via The Ascot Shop.

Meanwhile, new licensed products for 2021 include L.K.Bennett ladies ready-to-wear silk dresses, jumpsuits, skirts and tops, suits and silk scarves, plus Ascot’s first footwear collection, featuring courts and wedges. Available now from L.K.Bennett stores in the UK and China and John Lewis, prices range from £175-450.

In another first, 2021 marks the first year Royal Ascot will permit navy blue morning suits inside the Royal Enclosure. To celebrate, Favourbrook has launched its first Royal Ascot collection featuring a navy morning suit in addition to the more traditional grey and black variants. The collection also includes pinstripe trousers, waistcoats, ties and pocket squares.

Radley’s 2021 Royal Ascot collection has 13 new styles, including small leather goods for the first time, in wearable shades of Chalk, Salt Lake Pink and Butter Brown. The silhouettes are inspired by traditional leather saddlery techniques and one of the styles features hand-drawn illustrations.

Additionally, Charbonnel et Walker has created a bespoke top hat chocolate box, featuring a new flavour duo combination of milk sea salt and strawberries and cream truffles. Longstanding partners Christy’s London and Oliver Brown are also launching new Ascot-inspired collections in time for the Royal Meeting.

Felicity Barnard, commercial director at Ascot Racecourse, said: “We’re delighted to launch these new product collections for 2021 and extremely grateful to all our licensees who have created such elegant and inspiring collections. In a year when public attendance at Royal Ascot will be much reduced, we’re thrilled that The Ascot Shop website will provide people with the opportunity to purchase the Ascot and Royal Ascot collections online for the first time.”

Tim Smith, associate vice president of licensing, IMG, added: “We’re extremely excited for the return of the summer racing season and are delighted to have worked with Ascot Racecourse to launch a curated portfolio of beautiful products specially designed to celebrate the occasion, as well as the online Ascot Shop.”