Stunning style on show at 2021 Darwin Cup Fashions on the Field
Out of the box entries dominated the Fashions on the Field at the 2021 Darwin Cup, as contestants embraced the Cup Carnival theme of ‘experience the difference’ for a chance to be named the best dressed at the biggest racing day on the Darwin social calendar.
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OUT of the box entries dominated the Fashions on the Field at the 2021 Great Northern Darwin Cup, as contestants embraced the Cup Carnival theme of ‘experience the difference’ for a chance to be named the best dressed at the biggest racing day on the Darwin social calendar.
Competition was fierce between the 40 women and 10 men who entered the glamorous contest, with six women and three men making it through heats for a spot in the finals.
Beating five other stunning contestants, Mietta Russell was named the winner of the hotly contested women’s final wearing an outfit composed almost entirely of local brands.
She wore an elegant custom-made pantsuit from Darwin design house Black Cat Couture featuring a bold design from remote Indigenous art centre Papulankutja, plus a hat from Millinery by Mel, shoes by Stomp and accessories by di CROCO.
Ms Russell said she was thrilled to win, especially as a long-time Fashions of the Field entrant who had never placed before.
“I’ve never worn a pantsuit before, so maybe that’s the perfect recipe,” she said.
“I just wanted to do something a little bit different.
“I really like the natural earth tones, and I just really want to showcase the work of remote artists.”
A grand final held afterwards featuring the Fashions of the Field winners of all the major 2021 Cup Carnival events was taken out by Ladies Day winner Hannah Burns, who won a trip to Melbourne.
She wore the same striking outfit she wore to Ladies Day, including a dress by Raw Cloth, headpiece by Peacock Millinery and jewellery from Paspaley Pearls.
Ms Burns said she was excited to cap off her Ladies Day win by claiming the overall title.
“When I saw the dress in Raw Cloth, I didn’t even know what the theme of the carnival was, but I thought ‘that’s really different’ and I bought it because I fell in love with it right away,” she said.
“Here is the perfect place to wear it.”
She said she would celebrate the win by finding somewhere airconditioned and enjoying a glass of champagne with friends.
Former Darwin jockey Scott Leckey won the men’s final wearing a tailored black jacket, white pants and shoes from Darwin store Attitude for Men.
He dedicated his win to the National Jockeys Trust, a charity dedicated to raising funds for injured jockeys.
Jaimee Bruggemann won a millinery award for her headpiece.
The head judge of the Fashions on the Field competition was former winner Brooke Prince.
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