Every magical detail

While the runways of Milan, Paris, London and New York showcase the pinnacle of cutting-edge design that will set the tone for every forthcoming fashion season, you could argue that there’s no better place globally to see personal style in action than Melbourne Cup Carnival. Each year we look forward to seeing how Australia’s most stylish interpret the current trends, colour palettes and silhouettes to suit their personalities and the dress codes of each event. What is most impressive is the creativity and inventiveness that goes into individual looks – it’s never about who’s wearing what designer or whose ensemble is the most expensive. The magic of Melbourne Cup fashion is about whose personal style shines through most brightly and who is having the most fun.

Melbourne Cup Carnival is underpinned by a rich history of dressing up and above all else, a sense of occasion. Since the first Melbourne Cup in 1861, when the colonial fashion of long skirts, corsets and petticoats dominated, Flemington’s lawns have always been the place to promenade in style.

In the 1890s it was all about wide-brimmed hats, puffed shoulders, long elbow gloves and parasols, while the 1920s gave way to flapper dresses with dropped waistlines that celebrated freedom and movement.

During World War II dressing became a lesson in innovation and the recycling of older garments, which eventually gave way to a new era in tailoring led by Christian Dior’s iconic 1947 New Look that celebrated a more feminine, romantic image thanks to full skirts and a cinched waist. And who can forget Jean Shrimpton’s mini-dress (sans stockings) that caused such a stir at Derby Day in 1965? Or more recently, iconic looks from celebrities such as Princess Diana, Nicole Kidman, Gigi Hadid, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kate Bosworth? In the past decade, we have really enjoyed the way contemporary fashion has often given way to a vintage aesthetic with a modern twist and allowed wearers to fuse together old and new according to their own style.

2022 marked an exciting new chapter for Cup Week. For the first time ever, the major Women’s and Men’s Racewear competitions transformed to become the Best Dressed and Best Suited Awards, with all racegoers encouraged to enter either category not based on gender, but on their identity and unique personal style instead. This update not only invigorated a time-honoured tradition but with its commitment to inclusivity and individuality, also marked a significant moment in Australian fashion history.

Be bold, be colourful, be daring. And above all else remember, fashion is about having fun.