If there’s one thing that’s important as the horses at Flemington during the Melbourne Cup Carnival, it’s what people are wearing.
Fashions on the Field has become synonymous with the race that stops a nation.
Introduced in 1962 to encourage more women to attend the Cup, the competition has become a drawing card in its own right, inspiring both men and women to get creative with their attire and even attracting some of the world’s best fashion design talent.
There are big prizes on offer, the competitions are often televised nationally as part of the racing coverage and Fashions on the Field will also have internationally-renowned ambassadors in the form of models, actresses and artists representing the event.
This is my table
About Fashions on the Field
While the race itself on Melbourne Cup Day draws most of the attention, the fashion can be said to steal the limelight from time to time, specifically for the Myer Fashions on the Field competition.
There are two main categories in the Fashions on the Field event including:
- Best Suited Competition
- Best Dressed Competition
There are also two invitation-only categories including:
- Emerging Designer Award
- Lillian Frank AM MBE Millinery Award
The winners of the Fashions on the Field categories are determined during the Melbourne Cup Carnival but it can be said that the women’s category is a year-long event as every State holds its own competition throughout the year in order to determine the entrants of the final.
Best Suited & Best Dressed competition & criteria
- Take to the stage in the Fashion Garden in one of the daily competitions on Penfolds Victoria Derby Day, Lexus Melbourne Cup Day or Crown Oaks Day!
Daily finalists for each day will be invited to compete in the Grand Final on the Crown Oaks Day, plus win tickets to the VRC Members Enclosure and receive a luxury prize package from Sofitel Melbourne on Collins.
With over $111,000 in prizes to be won, and more daily prizes this is your chance to dazzle and revel in the excitement of the Melbourne Cup Carnival.
- Embrace the glamour of Cup Week by competing in one of the daily competitions on Penfolds Victoria Derby Day, Lexus Melbourne Cup Day or Crown Oaks Day!
Daily finalists for each day will be invited to compete in the Grand Final on the Crown Oaks Day, plus win tickets to the VRC Members Enclosure and receive a luxury prize package from Sofitel Melbourne on Collins.
With over $111,000 in prizes to be won, and more daily prizes than ever before, this is your chance to dazzle and revel in the excitement of the Melbourne Cup Carnival.
Invitational-only events
The Emerging Designer Award and the Lillian Frank AM MBE Millinery Award were introduced in 2005 and 2006, respectively.
The Designer Award focuses on designers and their creations, while the Millinery Award focuses primarily on the hat or headpiece.
Once again, if you were to place a bet, we would suggest relying on the criteria with the Design Award featuring the following:
- Style
- Originality
- Inclusion of modern fashion trends
- Appropriateness
- A millinery component
- Accessories
While relying on the criteria for the Millinery Award, which includes:
- Style
- Originality
- Concept of the design theme
- Wearability
- Quality
- Appropriateness
If betting becomes available for the Fashions on the Field, we would also recommend looking up what’s hot with Myer’s Spring/Summer launch and base your pick for the women’s category on the State finalist that have similar style to what was on the runway.
Additionally, learning about the popular styles may help you pick a winner in the other categories if you are on the same page as the judges.