If you don't live in Victoria, you have exactly three chances left to enter the Myer Fashions on the Field state finals and progress through to the national final, to be held at Flemington Racecourse on Crown Oaks Day during the 2013 Melbourne Cup Carnival.For all Victorians, and those who will be attending the Melbourne Cup Carnival, you can now pre-register to enter Myer Fashions on the Field at Flemington, which we strongly advise you do as in previous years there have been a limited number of entry places available, and entry on the day for non-registered contestants is subject to numbers of pre-registered entrants. To pre-register, visit the VRC website here.For anyone wishing to enter Myer Fashions on the Field but can't make it to a state final, entry is already open for the Online People's Choice Award. This is the easiest pathway to a spot in the national final - but only if you have a serious amount of Facebook friends and can rely on their votes! To enter, simply visit the Flemington Racecourse and Events Facebook page and submit your best spring racewear look captured in a full-length image (don't leave out your shoes!). Entries close Monday, September 30. Twenty finalists will be selected by a panel of expert judges, and public voting via Facebook will be open from Wednesday, October 2 until 5pm on Monday, October 21. The finalist with the most votes will progress through to the national final on Crown Oaks Day at Flemington.
For those who live in New South Wales, or might just happen to be in Sydney at the time, your Myer Fashions on the Field state final will take place at Royal Randwick Racecourse's Spring Champion Stakes Day on Saturday, October 12.
As yet, we do not have specific times for the event but we suspect further details will be revealed when the Myer Fashions on the Field NSW state final is launched with a "Melbourne Cup Carnival Spring Fashion Moment" on Monday, September 23 at Sydney's The Mint. Myer ambassadors Kris Smith and Laura Dundovic and Myer Fashions on the Field ambassador Rebecca Bramich will bring the style and celebration of the Melbourne Cup Carnival to Sydney, while designer Wayne Cooper and milliner Anne Shoebridge will provide expert tips on what to wear and how to wear it for this year's Spring Carnival.For those who live on the other side of the country in Western Australia, October 19 - Ascot Racecourse's Crown Opening Day - is your chance to represent your state in the final of Myer Fashions on the Field. We here at OTOT are particularly excited about this event because, not only will we be attending it, but I'll also be judging it! It's been a long time since I've been to my home track and I'm looking forward to seeing WA's unique sense of style channelled through racewear (and I'm also looking forward to what's usually a reliably sunny day at the races!).
If you haven't read my "How to win Fashions on the Field" guides, now is the time to brush up on them. But to give you a little extra info on what I'll be looking for, I like an outfit which retains the traditional sense of racewear (that is, ladylike and not baring too much flesh), incorporates the latest international trends (if you've been inspired by the SS14 collections that are currently being shown in Milan, it's never too early, in my book), and displays your own sense of originality (this is important: I want to see your interpretation of racewear, I don't want to see an outfit plucked directly from the pages of a designer's look book).Here are all the important facts, in bite-sized pieces:Online People's Choice AwardWhere: Enter online at the Flemington Racecourse and Events Facebook page and submit a full-length photo of your best spring racewear look. You can only enter once, and you must be in Australia to claim your prize.When: You have until Monday, September 30, 2013 to enter. Twenty finalists will be chosen and revealed on October 2, with public voting to determine the winner open from Wednesday, October 2 until 5pm on Monday, October 21. The winner will be announced after the close of votes on October 21.Prizes: A 10-day trip of a lifetime to the Melbourne Cup Carnival and automatic entry to the national final of Myer Fashions on the Field at Flemington.For further info: Visit the VRC website. New South Wales State FinalWhere: Spring Champion Stakes Day at Royal Randwick Racecourse, Alison Rd, Randwick, NSW.When: Saturday, October 12. Gates open at 11am, first race 1:07pm. We will be sure to update this post with further information regarding the registration time of the event when it is available.Prizes: A 10-day trip of a lifetime to the Melbourne Cup Carnival and automatic entry to the national final of Myer Fashions on the Field at Flemington to represent New South Wales.For further info: Visit the ATC site and the VRC site. Western Australian State FinalWhere: Ascot Racecourse's Crown Opening Day, 71 Grandstand Rd, Ascot, WA.When: Saturday, October 19. Registration is open from 11am until 1:15pm, with heats starting at 1:30pm.Prizes: A 10-day trip to the Melbourne Cup Carnival, a Myer shopping spree, an Antler Luggage pack and automatic entry into the national final of Myer Fashions on the Field at Flemington to represent WA.For further info: visit the Perth Racing website and the VRC site.Photo credits: www.news.com.au, www.smh.com.au, and Headonism MillineryBy Lisa Tan
You may remember Kelli, who, in my memory, goes down as the most unlucky runner-up in national Myer Fashions on the Field history. Back in 2009 when she was a fresh-faced Fashions on the Field novice, Kelli won the NSW Myer Fashions on the Field final in a beautiful Mad Men-esque (it was all the rage back then) full-skirted dress in a vivid floral print. But the cheeky open back divided judges at the national final, and Kelli lost out to WA representative Elizabeth Pollard in a simple dusky pink and cream ensemble, and what I can still only describe as a monstrosity of epic millinery proportions. (I know, it's harsh, but see for yourself...)
Bright florals seem to be a lucky pattern for Kelli, who again wore a multicoloured print dress (this time in a more demure shift style that she had commissioned especially for the occasion), a sculptural Hatmaker by Jonathan Howard deep pink headpiece topped with orange acrylic and pale pink silk flowers, and completed the look with studded Valentino peeptoes.
Natasha Kent and Louise Struber were named the first and second runners-up respectively. You may remember Louise, too, who also finished runner-up in the national competition in 2011 when our very own Angela Menz scooped the title. Natasha donned a very elegant inky black ensemble, complete with classic Chanel handbag, while Louise sported a graphic print dress with a sculptural tri-coloured headpiece.
With the last two national Myer Fashions on the Field winners hailing from the Sydney final, will 2013 provide a hattrick for NSW, and a first win for Kelli Odell in the competition? We'll find out on November 7.Don't forget: next week is the last state final of Myer Fashions on the Field before the competition moves to Flemington, and I will be at Ascot Racecourse to help decide who will represent Western Australia in the national final! Good luck to all the entrants, and do have a read of our "How to win Fashions on the Field" guides for tips and tricks on how to dress for the event.Photo credits: instagram.com/myer_mystore, www.vrc.net.au, www.zimbio.com, twitter.com/FlemingtonVRC.By Lisa Tan