Brownlow 2021 red carpet and lockdown fashion

See who wore what on the Brownlow Medal red carpet in Perth and Brisbane.

The usual roll call of Brownlow royals, Bec, Nadia, Jessie and Brit were glaringly absent from this year’s red carpet.

But all queens must eventually be dethroned, and a fresh new league of chic and glamorous WAGS rose from their ashes to make their debut on the ruby rug at Perth’s Optus Stadium on Sunday night.

Last year’s quickly improvised hybrid Brownlow event marked a more conservative and restrained fashion feel, as the world still grappled with the horror and fallout from the pandemic.

As one stylist at the time remarked “it’s just not a good look going OTT and extravagant as the world is in such crisis”.

We can safely say that austere, restrained feel was so 2020. This year brought a go one-shoulder bold or go home feel while the red carpet was awash with colour.

Patrick Cripps and partner Monique Fontana in Perth. Picture: Getty Images

West Coast ruckman Nic Naitanui’s girlfriend, Brittany Bown, was the head turner of the night, wearing a sublime green tiered showstopper by homegrown Brownlow favourite Jason Grech. The pilates instructor garnered plenty of best dressed nods, channelling Jasmine from Disney’s Alladdin albeit with a plunging neckline.

Think themes of white, statement sleeves, racy cutouts, body fitting sheer corsets, intricate lace details and floor sweeping trains for the 2021 Brownlow carpet.

Brittany Bown, partner of West Coast’s Nic Naitanui, in Perth. Picture: Michael Klein

Channel 7’s Amberley Lobo arrives in Perth. Picture: Michael Klein

Channel 7’s Abbey Holmes in Perth. Picture: Michael Klein

Channel 7 presenter Abbey Holmes led the white trend, channelling old Hollywood while looking chic and timeless in Cappellazzo Couture.

It was also an opportunity to showcase local designers, as wives and girlfriends scrambled to get fittings and styling at the eleventh hour.

Carlton skipper Patrick Cripp’s partner, Monique Fontana, took a Dancing With The Stars feel to chic heights, wearing a teal shimmering, high neck cutout number by Melbourne-based Perth designer By Kinsman.

Another favourite was GWS Giants captain Stephen Coniglio’s partner, Rebecca Demlakian, wearing a monochrome bow Rachel Gilbert dress, making classic and modern her own.

Iconic.

The Brownlow red carpet is back, baby.

See who wore what below.

Talia Demarco with Dayne Zorko in Brisbane. Picture: Steve Pohlner

West Coast captain Luke Shuey and wife Dani in Perth. Picture: Michael Klein

Daniel Rich and Lauren Rich in Brisbane. Picture: Getty

5.52PM: White was a popular colour. Channel 7’s Abbey Holmes wore a Cappellazzo gown, Hawks star Jaeger O’Meara’s partner, Tory Packer, also stepped out in a white frock, while GWS captain Stephen Coniglio’s partner wore a black dress with a white bow.

Harris Andrews and Emily Halverson in Brisbane. Picture: Steve Pohlner

Stephen Coniglio of the Giants and Rebecca Demlakian in Perth. Picture: Michael Klein

Talia Demarco, Emily Halverson and Lauren Rich in Brisbane. Picture: Steve Pohlner

5.55PM: Carlton star Patrick Cripps’ partner Monique Fontana carried a stunning train across the carpet in a By Kinsman gown

Patrick Cripps and Monique Fontana in Perth. Picture: Michael Klein

5.59PM: Lachie Neale, without heavily pregnant wife Jules, posed on the carpet with his Lions teammate Jarryd Lyons.

Jarryd Lyons with Lachie Neale in Brisbane. Picture: Steve Pohlner

Rachael Glaskin, partner of Matt De Boer of the Giants, in Perth. Picture: Michael Klein

Georgia Mitchell-Wills, partner of Gold Coast’s Sam Collins, in Brisbane. Picture: Steve Pohlner

Tory Packer, partner of Jaeger O’Meara of the Hawks. Picture: Getty

Rebecca Demlakian, fiancee of Stephen Coniglio of the Giants, in Perth. Picture: Michael Klein

Ben Cousins in Perth with Kelley Hayes. Picture: Getty

Harris Andrews of the Lions and Emily Halverson in Brisbane. Picture: Chris Hyde

Lauren O’Shannassy, wife of Matthew Pavlich, in Perth. Picture: Michael Klein

Sean Lemmens of the Suns and Trischaye Newchurch in Brisbane. Picture: Getty

Hasina Baluch, partner of Shai Bolton, of the Tigers, in Perth. Picture: Getty

Brooke Parker, partner of West Coast’s Dom Sheed. Picture: Michael Klein

Bailey Smith of the Bulldogs in Perth. Picture: Getty

Gayden Shea, Marcus Bontempelli and Hayden Crozier of the Bulldogs, in Perth. Picture: Getty Images

Naitanui and Bown. Picture: Getty

Brownlow host Jacqui Felgate in a Sonia Cappellazzo gown.

Clayton Oliver arrives for the medal count in Perth. Picture: Getty

Christian Petracca, one of the pre-medal favourites, in Perth. Picture: Getty

2020 Brownlow medallist Lachie Neale. Picture: Getty Images

Sally Mundy, wife of David Mundy of the Dockers. Picture: Getty

Andrew Gaff of the Eagles with Emma Van Woerden. Picture: Getty Images

David Swallow of the Suns and Georgia Homer in Brisbane. Picture: Getty Images

In Melbourne, it was trackies, slippers and couches instead of frocks, suits and cameras.

For some, such as the Brownlow veterans Emma and Tom Hawkins, it was chic pyjamas and shorts.

Pies veteran Steele Sidebottom brought out the food platter and Jack Crisp rolled out the red carpet at his front doorstep.

It wasn’t the usual amount of glitz and glamour of a Brownlow in Melbourne, but it held the same anticipation.

Jack and Mikayla Crisp. Picture: Instagram

Collingwood’s Steele Sidebottom ready for the Brownlow.

Emma and Tom Hawkins. Picture: Instagram

Brayden Maynard and his dapper mate. Picture: Instagram

Much of the focus this year was on the actual vote count with a fair line-up of stars all expected to jam the top of the leaderboard.

Perth was the place to be.

More than 1000 people packed into Perth Stadium, where it felt like an event.

We didn’t have showstopping big names on the red carpet but we had former Brownlow winner and West Coast superstar Ben Cousins.

Ben Cousins is interviewed on the red carpet. Picture: Getty

Stylists and designers were doing their best work prepping players and their partners. Some were based in Melbourne, some in Sydney and many in Perth and Brisbane.

Eagles star Nic Naitanui and his partner Brittany Bown had a team in Melbourne tirelessly working, freighting options and assessing over Zoom.

Bown was a standout in a Jason Grech gown, styled by Ramzy Nawzar.

Players from various clubs made a grand entrance from about 5pm Melbourne time — some, such as Carlton star Patrick Cripps, were back home in WA to see family, and some were able to fly in.

The toughest part for the broadcast was relying on technology.

Last year was a similar scenario but it didn’t seem as complicated as this one with three different rooms to navigate in Perth alone.

As always there was plenty of razzle dazzle in the Channel 7 coverage and the traditional red carpet intro package was seamlessly glitzy.

Last year was a Brownlow like no other with players scattered around Queensland, sitting on high chairs and sofas.

This year was also a count like no other with a new home in Perth.

At least it was a celebration of a season that was completed after again hanging by a thread at various stages.

Bring on the grand final.