White and soft peaks: ‘Meringue’ dressing takes over Caulfield
It was a sighting of a denim jacket in the invite-only Bar Bambi marquee – a clear transgression of members’ dress requirements – that finally confirmed when it comes to Caulfield, a good time precedes observance of fashion conventions.
Envelope-pushing is what makes Caulfield more fun than Flemington – think of it as the naughtier cousin of the Victorian racetracks, like the Grammys red carpet is to the Oscars’ – and fashion served any way you like it was the dominant mood.
Still, there were some fashion through-lines, including white and stiff peaks – like a good meringue. And when it came to headwear, bows outranked hats by a factor of five to one. Lace pants, floor-length dresses, lurex separates and cutouts were among the “is this racewear?” looks spotted inside Bar Bambi, sometimes all on the one guest. But even while they were bending and breaking traditions, they looked like they were having fun.
Caulfield Cup’s best dressed
Holly John, journalist
French dressing … Holly John.Credit: Justin McManus
Don’t you just hate it when someone is wearing something impossibly chic, and when you ask where it’s from they coo, “Oh, I got it overseas”. No shade to Sky News presenter – and newlywed – Holly John (née Stearnes), who is sweet as pie and picked up her hat, which she wore over a headscarf, on a trip to Paris. John, who is committed to the hat cause on race days, is used to stopping traffic with her headwear. On Derby Day last year, she attracted whispers of the “who is that?” variety when she arrived in the Birdcage wearing a two-metre-wide hat, which she also picked up in France. At Caulfield, she chose to let her lace catsuit and “deconstructed” blazer by Atoir do more of the talking. We dared not ask her how she was managing trips to the bathroom.
Dina Zayed, pharmacist
Off duty … pharmacist Dina Zayed.Credit: Justin McManus
Hats off to anyone who styles themselves and looks this good, like pharmacist Dina Zayed. “I love the races, I have been going since back in university,” she said. “One of my girlfriends is a long-time member, so we have always had fun dressing up and choosing our headpieces.” Zayed’s white dress, by Sydney designer Lillian Khallouf, evokes the gravity-defying hemlines from Jonathan Anderson’s latest (and possibly last, if you believe certain rumours about his possible future with Dior) collection for Loewe, while her Dior bag is on loan from her mum. And Zayed has bucked the bow trend with a sweet headpiece by local milliner Jill Humphries.
Effie Kats, designer
Rule breaker … Effie Kats.Credit: Justin McManus
Rules, schmules. Designer Effie Kats knew she was “breaking” a few conventions with her dress, which she designed herself, but the Caulfield best-dressed regular didn’t care. “I’m wearing velvet in the daytime, which is a no-no, so is satin,” she says. “Plus a felt hat, but I thought I’d push the boundaries a little.” Kats, who recently celebrated her summer collection with a swanky dinner for 70 at Melbourne restaurant Grossi Florentino, revealed herself to be a savvy online shopper, hunting down her Nina Ricci hat on a lesser-known French fashion website. “It was the last one left, I could not believe it.” The hitch? It was a bit small, but in the windy conditions, it may have proven a prophetic mistake.
Jack Charles, radio anchor
Check mate ... Jack Charles in Calibre.Credit: Justin McManus
Fact of life: when the dress code is a little more relaxed, it can be tricky to find men who are serving. So it was a relief to spot Nova personality Jack Charles trackside in a blue and black gingham suit by Calibre. “I normally get Effie [Kats] to make me something, but I only decided to come last minute,” he says. But it wasn’t just Charles’ suit that drew our eye; his black loafers were bearing the initials “A” and “S” in gold. Did they denote a love interest, or lucky letters, if there’s such a thing? Nope, just the initials of the brand, Acne Studios. “People ask if it’s my initials … my name isn’t Alex Simpson!”
Rozalia Russian, fashion identity
Showcasing Australian design … Rozalia Russian in Lillian Khallouf.Credit: Justin McManus
Rozalia Russian doesn’t mind dividing the internet with her outfits, and this blazer-dress-come-puffer-jacket by Lillian Khallouf is no exception. Still, her hat by Melissa Jackson, Schiaparelli accessories and flawless make-up put the content creator in the lead for “most polished”. Russian says after wearing international brands to last week’s Guineas, she was keen to showcase Australian design, even hopping on a plane to Sydney for fittings and documenting the process for her 267,000 Instagram followers. “I started making behind-the-scenes videos last year just to show people how much love and care goes into creating these outfits. It’s more than just a dress; it’s never just a dress.”
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