Melbourne Cup best dressed: Nude dress-ups and Peaky Blinders

Melbourne Cup day is all about colour but unexpected shades and complex details took centre stage for the best dressed racegoers.

Rozalia Russian, Steven Khalil dress and Melissa Jackson hat

Melbourne Cup Day may be all about colour, but content creator and podcaster Rozalia Russian is willing to debate anyone that nude fits the bill in her ruffled dress by Sydney dressmaker Steven Khalil.

“It’s a very soft and feminine way of doing a colour as well, especially for us Melburnians who are scared of colour.”

The starting point for Russian and Khalil was a statement collar, a dash of My Fair Lady and a 1950s feel. The finishing touch was a hat by Melissa Jackson, with white heels by Balenciaga and a Bulgari clutch.

So how does nude fair in the rain? Russian wasn’t worried, sticking to the cover of the Landmark by Lexus marquee.

“I don’t plan for the weather,” Russian says. “It could have been 40 degrees today and I still would have worn this outfit.”

Melissa Leong is ‘In The Mood For Love’

The vivid colours, dramatic make-up and flip of her bob were clear signals that TV host Melissa Leong has been deep diving in the fashion film archives.

“Yes, I was heavily inspired by In The Mood For Love,” says Leong, about the influential Wong Kar-wai movie from 2000.

The movie moment was a fallback when Leong saw the weather report.

“I had a beautiful Emilia Wickstead dress ready to go, but with the weather, it was time to shop the closet.”

Leong landed on an archival Scanlan Theodore dress (translation: not this season), earrings from Melbourne jeweller Anna Rossi and a dramatic hat from Binata Millinery.

“My stylist and I ended up putting this together at the eleventh hour, but isn’t that always the way when it comes to good fashion moments.”

Kris Smith, Boss suit, Serena Lindeman hat

Presenter and former rugby league player Kris Smith has been paying close attention as the host of a revitalised Fashions on the Field competition at Flemington Racecourse. If the former model had entered the Best Suited category he would have scored a sash with his fawn flecked Hugo Boss suit and Shelby hat by Serena Lindeman.

”I’ve always been obsessed with the show,” Smith says. “I’ve watched the entire series three times over.

“There’s something about the hats. I’m not a big hat person and don’t fancy wearing them to the races, but the weather today was the perfect opportunity.”

Nicole Wenske, Alice + Olivia suit, Eve Til Dawn hat

Fashions on the Field entrant Nicole Wenske is familiar with standing out in a crowd.

“I come from a town in the Riverland in South Australia that’s 105 people,” Wenske says. “A few less than this gathering.”

While Wenske’s bold patterned Alice + Olivia suit and Eve Til Dawn red straw hat were not short of attention, her gold Otaa tie would stop traffic in any town or city.

“I didn’t want just an ordinary knot,” says Wenske, who turned to YouTube for inspiration.

Wenske landed on the Merovingian knot, which when tied looks like a tie over a tie. It is named after the villain from The Matrix Reloaded. Think of it as the cryptic crossword of ties.

“I’m a tomboy by nature, living on a place with horses and wearing steel-cap boots, so when I dress up, I dress up.”

Sarah Stephens in Aje and Embellish Atelier millinery and Nonny Naitanui in Aje and Sportsgirl headband

Professional models Sarah Stephens and Nonny Naitanui have an unfair advantage over mere Melbourne Cup mortals, but their simple approach to style deserves credit.

“I wanted to look feminine and simple,” says Naitanui. “My hat was the last one at the shop, but you can’t stress about these things.”

“Racewear for me can go either way,” Stephens says. “More is more but less is more. I’m going a bit less.”

So did the wet weather impact their dresses? “It’s more about the hair,” says Naitanui. “Let it start the day with the wet look.”

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