The Bollinger Best Dressed 2026

WHAT?

The famous Bollinger Best Dressed Competition returns. Widely regarded as Ireland’s most prestigious style competition, The Bollinger Best Dressed takes place across the first four days of the festival from Tuesday 28th April to the final on Friday 1st May.

WHEN?

The Bollinger Best Dressed judging starts on Tuesday 28th April and runs through to the grand final on Ladies Day, Friday 1st May.

Each day judges will scout the crowds and enclosures seeking out looks from 1.30pm ahead of racing getting underway at 2.30pm (3.30pm on Friday).

Finalists will be asked to gather in the Bollinger Garden in the South Enclosure from 3.30pm.

A winner will be selected from the daily finalists by 4.30pm each day so please arrive early.

That winner progresses to the grand final on Ladies Day, Friday 1st May!

WHERE?

While judges will cover as many locations around the enclosures, pavilions and venues as possible, The Bollinger Champagne Lounge and Garden located in the South enclosure will be the Style Quarter for the festival. This is where daily and grand finalists will take to the stage for judging each day straight after the second race.

EYES ON THE PRIZE

• The overall winner and guest win a ‘money can’t buy’ trip of a lifetime to the home of Bollinger. This is not a cliche, you literally cannot buy this prize as it is invitation only.
• Flights to Paris, 5* Hotel, Michelin Star dining, private chauffeur, Exclusive Champagne Bollinger experience including private tour of the cellars, vineyards, gardens, house and overnight stay in the beautiful capital of the champagne region Reims.
• One year supply of Bollinger (case = 12 bottles)
• The official winners portrait photo will appear in Irish Country Magazine as part of the ever popular My Style My Story feature.
• Daily winners and finalists will enjoy a deluxe goody bag.
• On Friday May 1st, sharply dressed gents will enjoy the opportunity to win a case of Bollinger along with a www.louiscopeland.com prize

WHO?

The Bollinger Best Dressed competition is open to everyone. There will be a separate prize for gents on Friday 1 May thanks for Louis Copeland

THE JUDGES 

• Jess Colivet @jesscolivet

Based only a stones throw from Punchestown, in county Kildare, Ireland, Lead Judge Jess Colivet is a renowned personal stylist and content creator known for her inspiring fashion insights on Instagram. With a postgraduate degree from Trinity College Dublin and a Personal Styling qualification from the London College of Style, her impressive career includes serving as Head Dresser for Paul Costelloe at London Fashion Week, working with esteemed designers such as Richard Quinn and Rixo. Jess has collaborated with Tory Burch, LK Bennett, Bollinger, Trinny London, Boodles, Punchestown, Paul Sheeran and more . Jess’s impeccable style has been highlighted by SheerLuxe, The Gloss, and Image Magazine in their “A Week in My Wardrobe” features.Sustainability is at the heart of Jess’s fashion philosophy. She advocates for quality over quantity, encouraging mindful fashion choices and inspiring her followers to embrace slow fashion.

• Jennifer Wrynne @jenniferwrynne

Entrepreneur, designer, and digital creator, Jennifer Wrynne has cultivated a distinctive presence within Ireland’s fashion and lifestyle landscape, underpinned by an innate sense of elegance and attention to detail. Alongside her work in fashion, she is also a milliner and designer not to mention Mum to four young children!

Beyond style, Jennifer has recently shared a deeply personal chapter of her life, navigating and overcoming breast cancer with honesty, resilience, and grace. Through this experience, she has connected with her audience on a more profound level, using her platform to raise awareness and inspire strength in others. Her content reflects a life that balances family, creativity, and modern luxury grounded in authenticity and a strong sense of self.

• Hayley StJohn & Carol Nolan @InTheEdit

This Wicklow based pair started an Instagram page to share outfits and style finds that mix forever pieces with high street buys. They now have a community of 92,000 followers! Both will bring a gorgeous fresh outlook as neither have ever been racing before never mind been part of a best dressed racing event. We love their approach to putting outfits together without spending a fortune.

• Irish Country Magazine @irishcountrymag

Deputy Editor Niamh Devereux will represent the Irish Country Magazine team for co-judge duties on Festival Thursday. As a champion for Irish design and channeling the Something Old/Something New sustainable fashion theme, Niamh says “I’ll be looking for the best stories behind the outfits with a particular eye for Irish design”. The overall winner will star in the My Style My Story feature along with official portrait in The Irish Country Magazine.

The Bollinger Best Dressed Judges Punchestown 2026

• Team Bollinger @champagne_Bollinger

Arthur Robert – Friday Final

In his roll as Bollinger Business Manager for France and Europe, Arthur Robert, will have a keen eye for who represents this timeless, luxury brand. Arthur is originally from Lyon, France. Raised on the wines of Beaujolais and the Rhône Valley, he naturally found his way into the wine industry in 2013. While studying hospitality and wine business, he completed an MBA and gained hands-on experience through an internship with a small-scale group of biodynamic winemakers, working across a wide range of French terroirs, including Champagne. Having long considered Bollinger his favourite house, it was only natural for him to join the company, where he now oversees the French and EU markets.

Michelle O’Sullivan – Friday Final

A director of Bollinger representatives in Ireland, Findlater & Co, Michelle has over two decades of experience working in the wine industry and has been instrumental in the development of the Bollinger Best Dressed at Punchestown since 2016.

• Verona Farrell @secondhandhuns

Kildare-born Verona Farrell, also known as @secondhandhuns, is a content-creator, writer and street-style videographer. During an Erasmus semester in Sweden, spotting fashionable Scandinavians on the street inspired her popular video series – ‘What People Are Wearing’, leading to one million followers across Tiktok and Instagram and a column with Vogue Scandinavia. Today she is based in London, where she continues to grow her online presence while studying book writing at a publishing house, Faber.

Verona joins us as guest judge alongside Team Bollinger and Jess Colivet.

• David O’Connor @styledoc

Gentlemen’s Prize Awarded Friday 1 May thanks to @louiscopeland_and_sons

Managing Director of Pembroke Street and Galway Louis Copeland.

Aptly named known as ‘The Style Doctor’ David has been working with the Louis Copeland group for over twenty years where he has styled some of the sharpest dressed, well known gentlemen including actors Patrick Dempsey and John C Reilly, celebrity chef Donal Skeahan, Tv Presenter and Olympian Greg O’Shea and globally renowned Mentalist Keith Barry.

Keen to champion gentlemen’s style and optimize the opportunity for the title to go the way of the men for the first time, David will be looking for perfect fit through great tailoring as well as attention to detail on presentation.

THE THEME REMAINS SUSTAINABLE

Something Old/ Something New for 2026

We are excited to introduce the Something Old/Something New theme focused on sustainable fashion. This simply means to take a considered approach to your race day look.

Start by shopping your own wardrobe. Is there a key piece that you can reinvent?

Exchange, borrow, swap and rent key pieces with your circle of friends and the many fashion rental businesses that have launched.

Invest in quality. Buy something that you love. That is really well made using quality materials and design. Think of timeless style.

Visit one of the many pre-loved stores online or in person and bag a quality piece for a fraction of the price.