Christian Wilkins and racing’s fluid new fashion rules
Like Jean Shrimpton, model Christian Wilkins is changing track fashion.
Christian Wilkins was a bundle of nerves when he approached the entrance of Flemington’s famed Birdcage precinct for Derby Day in 2019. It was strange, given the then 24-year-old had been a fixture at Melbourne Cup Carnival’s VIP marquees since making his racing debut as a willowy teen on the arm of his dad, entertainment editor Richard Wilkins.
“The theme that my best friend and I had chosen was Picnic at Hanging Rock, and I bought this pleated skirt and this Jacquemus blouse, and I had baby’s breath woven into my hair,” he tells The Australian.
The skirt (pictured below right), a below-the-knee pinstripe design by Comme Des Garcons, was conservative compared to the sea of extreme splits and thigh-grazing miniskirts already on display trackside.
But despite its modest length, Wilkins wasn’t sure he’d be allowed inside the precinct. Skirts, frocks and heels take up a good portion of the model’s wardrobe, but considering the carnival is hosted by the Victoria Racing Club – long considered a traditional and conservative institution – suits had always been his go-to.
“I genuinely was very, very nervous,” he says. “Even though Flemington is not that far away from the city, it’s a long drive on a race day, and I was like, ‘if we need to do an hour trip back home, to somehow buy a suit to then do an hour trip back, the day’s ruined’.”
He was allowed in, and aside from a few media references to the pair’s “bold look”, it barely raised a flock-veiled eyebrow.
Wilkins laughs that it was somewhat of a “Jean Shrimpton” moment, referring to the British model’s gloveless, hatless, sleeveless and gasp! hosiery-less mini dress ensemble worn on Derby Day at the 1965 Melbourne Cup Carnival that sparked both admiration and outrage from racegoers and the press at the time.
There will be no trepidation on October 29 when Wilkins returns to Flemington for this year’s Penfolds Victoria Derby Day, the first major day of the week-long carnival.
As both a 2022 Melbourne Cup Carnival ambassador and Myer Fashions on the Field judge, the red carpet will be metaphorically rolled out for the media personality, whose fluid fashion choices are being wholeheartedly celebrated by the VRC as a symbol of its move to make the competition inclusive and diverse.
After a two-year pandemic-induced hiatus, the Melbourne Cup Carnival Birdcage is back, with marquees hosted by the likes of Lexus, G.H Mumm and Penfolds.
While organisers remain tight-lipped about the arrival of international celebrity attendees, model sisters Ashley and Jess Hart and MCC ambassador Delta Goodrem are among those confirmed to make a cameo during the carnival.
Also returning to the track, after two years of virtual competition, is Flemington’s long-running race-wear contest, Myer Fashions on the Field.
This year marks the 60th anniversary of the competition, which first took place in 1962 as an incentive to entice more female racegoers to the sport. Over time the contest evolved to include menswear, designer, and millinery awards, and more recently the inclusion of digital entries to give fashion enthusiasts around the country a chance to compete for its lucrative prize pool.
This year sees another re-imagining, with its Men’s and Women’s categories scrapped in favour of the gender-neutral alternatives, Best Dressed and Best Suited.
“We wanted to be more inclusive and to be a reflection of the world around us and fashion,” explains VRC executive general manager of marketing Jo King.
“We thought that the male and female categorisation, for the moment that we live in and the way fashion has shifted and changed, that the focus of the competition should be on the fashion itself.”
Likewise, the Australian Turf Club has also implemented a new category for its Everest Spring Carnival fashion competition, The Showstopper, in addition to its best-dressed male and female categories, which is open to everyone regardless of gender.
Olympian Emma McKeon, who will be judging the competition on Saturday in her role as ambassador for TAB Everest Day, said she was looking for “elegance, lots of colour, bold accessories, and unique headwear”, among the entrants.
Maintaining tradition and upholding standards of dress while retaining a sense of individuality is somewhat of an art. And for all the impeccably dressed conformists who have graced Flemington’s immaculate lawns throughout the decades, it’s the Wilkinses and the Shrimptons who remain front of mind in the collective consciousness.
Ms King said it was too early to tell if the more inclusive contest would attract more Gen Z attendees to the sport, a generation known for their strong collective views on equality and social justice.
“Will they want to come and be part of the fashion competition? We’ll have to wait and see,” she said.
Wilkins is confident the move towards inclusivity will resonate with his peers, allowing young fashion lovers to showcase their individual style at the track while still celebrating the sport’s traditional pomp and splendour.
“For them (the VRC) to kind of really accept the fact that fashion is a form of identity … especially from an institution that’s been going around for so long, I think is such a wonderful thing,” he said.
TAB Everest Day takes place on Saturday at Royal Randwick. The 2022 Melbourne Cup Carnival runs from Saturday, October 29 to Saturday, November 5 at Flemington racecourse.