Brynne Gordon on the ‘meltdown’ over her iconic Brownlow dress
Brynne Gordon has opened up about causing a “fashion meltdown” with her infamous Brownlows outfit ahead of tonight’s event.
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Brynne Gordon has opened up about causing a “fashion meltdown” with her infamous Brownlows dress 15-years ago.
Ahead of Monday’s Brownlow Medal presentation, the former reality star has shared new details of the infamous gown she wore on the event’s red carpet in 2009 when attending with businessman Geoffrey Edelsten.
The then 26-year-old opted for a very revealing dress made from sheer black fabric as she posed alongside the late-Edelston.
But it was the gown’s plunging neckline, which exposed a diamante-covered bra, that rocked the prestigious sporting event – leading Gordon’s red carpet debut to be dubbed a Brownlow “scandal” over the years.
“I was just having a good time and I did not think the dress would be a big deal,” the now 41-year-old told the Herald Sun.
“Geoff showed me pictures of Tania Buckley in her G-string dress (at the 2001 Brownlow) and Bec Judd in her very deep V red dress (at the 2004 Brownlow) and said that girls wore things that were very different, so that was all I knew about the event.”
Gordon, who married Edelston in November 2009 with the pair divorcing six years later, explained the jaw-dropping dress had been purchased in Las Vegas and had been approved by her tight-knit circle of friends.
“In LA the style was quite different, you see more daring outfits there all the time. I think Australia is a bit more conservative in things like that,” she said.
“Everyone in my circle said this would be the perfect dress, so I thought ‘everyone is going to love it, I am going to love it, I am so excited’ … and then it got a different reaction.”
However the dress, which had flared sleeves and a tiered skirt, was widely panned by fashion critics.
One outlet labelled the outfit, purchased by Edelsten, as a “disco-ball-girl-meets-pole-dancer ensemble” while another described the entire look as a “complete shocker”.
But despite the controversy, Gordon still has the dress 15-years on, revealing it has “sentimental” meaning for her.
“I still have it, I still have many of my dresses, but that one is special,” she told the Herald Sun.
But while it’s hanging proudly in her wardrobe, Gordon said she could probably never wear the dress again, revealing she was saving it for her daughter, Starry – the “miracle” baby she welcomed in April, 2022.
Rebecca Judd also revealed what happened to her iconic Brownlows dress, earlier this year – 20 years after her cultural red carpet moment.
The popular influencer, who is married to AFL legend Chris Judd, “became a household name” when she made her red carpet debut in a red dress with a plunging neckline that went down to her navel.
Then Rebecca Twigley, the 21-year-old had “everyone talking” in the revealing gown, created by the late-Perth designer Ruth Tarvydas.
“(It was) definitely a moment. Can’t believe it’s been this long,” the 41-year-old told Zenn Design.
“The dress was given to charity which was auctioned off and I have not seen it since that night.”
While she may not have clapped eyes on it for 20 years, the distinctive red gown popped up in 2014, when it appeared at a showcase honouring Tarvydas at the Telstra Perth Fashion Festival.
At the time, it was owned by Monique Humich, whose husband paid $4000 for the slinky backless design at a charity auction in 2012.
It appeared at the event alongside some of the most spectacular pieces from the designer’s 40-year career, Perth Now reported at the time.
Originally published as Brynne Gordon on the ‘meltdown’ over her iconic Brownlow dress