Frocked up to frolic on the front lawn

This year’s audience-free Melbourne Cup Day event will see Rogers and fiance Justin McKeone celebrating the race that stops a nation at home.

Fashions on your Front Lawn ambassador Olivia Molly Rogers with fiance Justin McKeone at home in Glen Iris. Picture:

Like some 100,000 others on Melbourne Cup Day, Olivia Molly Rogers usually finds herself frocked up at Flemington to spend the day surrounded by fillies and finery, but this year’s audience-free event will see Rogers and fiance Justin McKeone celebrating the race that stops a nation at home.

“We’re still getting dressed up,” Rogers said. “We’ll be set up at home, we’ve got a nice big TV and we’ll make it feel as much like the races as we can.”

She said the easing of lockdown restrictions was perfectly timed to meet up with a small group of family or friends for the occasion: “It’s the perfect opportunity to get out of trackies and activewear and feel good about yourselves.”

A speech pathologist and Miss Universe Australia 2017, Rogers is the ambassador of Myer Fashions on Your Front Lawn — the annual Fashions on the Field competition’s digital pandemic pivot.

Winners of the Emerging Designer Award and Milinery Award will be announced online on Cup day, and men’s and women’s national winners will be announced at Thursday’s Oaks day.

Some novelty categories — Mad Hatters, Cup Week Costumes, Family Ties and Lounge In Style — have been added so everyone can get involved at home.

“The entrants have really embraced (the competition),” said Rogers “Those categories are going to be pretty entertaining. I think I’ll just be scrolling through the hashtags for most of the day.”

Entry is via Instagram, with the hashtag #cupweekfashion and the category also nominated.

Winners in the novelty categories, which started on Derby day, will be announced on Saturday.

For Caroline Ralphsmith, executive general manager customer engagement for the Victoria Racing Club, this year’s event pushed her team to create an event that is as exciting as being trackside. She is keen for people to simply embrace the celebratory spirit of the day.