They say the world isn’t always sunshine and rainbows, but it certainly was – at least, sunshine and pastels – at Oaks Day. Here are the best looks.
Catherine Martin Luhrmann and Lilly Luhrmann in vintage MiuMiu
After having become the red carpet trend of the year, mother-daughter dates are officially having their moment at Flemington. Internationally acclaimed costume and production designer Catherine Martin Luhrmann and daughter Lilly Luhrmann made a Birdcage appearance as guests of the Landmark by Lexus marquee.
The theme for this year’s pavilion, A New Dawn, felt personal for the Luhrmanns, who represent two generations of creative talent and craftsmanship. And when it comes to dressing to a theme, Catherine is never afraid to lean in – or, in the case of today’s event, head towards a look at a gallop.
Catherine and Lilly both wore vintage MiuMiu dresses with equestrian prints, bought secondhand from luxury resale platform Vestiaire Collective.
Lilly says the vision was all her mother’s. “One of her greatest gifts is her ability to pull pieces and put looks together, and it’s just not talked about enough,” she says of Catherine, best known for her work on The Great Gatsby, Elvis and Moulin Rouge!
“Yes, she can do a costume to the nines, but she’s also an incredible stylist.”
With the exception of Lilly’s shoes (a chunky block heel was the only item she could not be convinced to wear by her mother), the pair’s raceday accessories were also vintage.
For Lilly, these included a secondhand Gucci headband and vintage MiuMiu necklace, which Catherine says she coveted for years. Catherine found a pair of MiuMiu heels from the same resort collection as her dress on TheRealReal to pair with a Prada headband.
The effort put into both looks more than paid off. “We love to match,” says Lilly. “Anytime we can match, we are matching.”
As for where these looks will end up once their stint at the races is over, Catherine says she would love to give them to Sydney’s Powerhouse Museum. “Maybe it’s slightly cheesy, but I love the fact that they’re on point in terms of the theme, and that they have horses.”
Annalise Dalins in Eliya The Label
What better way to escape the stress of wedding planning than with a day at the races? Annalise Dalins is set to marry Collingwood’s Josh Daicos in coming weeks and says Oaks Day could not have come at a better time.
“It’s nice to be here, enjoying the day away from the planning for a moment,” she says from inside Crown’s Birdcage marquee.
While we will have to be patient and wait for wedding dress details, Dalins says that for her raceday look, she wanted to play with texture, which she certainly did with her butter-yellow fringed miniskirt and matching jacket by Eliya The Label.
When asked about her decision to forgo traditional millinery in place of a ribbon at the end of an undone plait, Dalins says she loves an effortless look.
“Because [the outfit] is bold, I wanted to kind of pare back the hair, and let the outfit do the talking.”
Melissa Leong in Acler
There’s one fashion trend TV personality Melissa Leong says she hasn’t been able to get on board with this spring racing carnival, and that’s red carpet dressing.
“I think that you need to dress appropriately for a daytime event, and some people are taking it a little too extreme,” she says. “However, it’s all about interpretation and each to their own.”
Today, she’s leading by perfect example.
Dressed in an Acler set with floral details (it is Oaks Day, after all), Leong says she fell in love with the look as soon as she tried it on.
From there, it was all about finding millinery and accessories to match with the help of Sydney-based stylist Jess Pecoraro. Gucci shoes, EZARA/J millinery and Tiffany and Co hardware helped her bring together a mix of local and global designers.
And while Leong hasn’t seen the new film Wicker yet, she has seen the memes and will be making some appropriate (and potentially inappropriate) on-theme jokes as the day continues.
Nadia Bartel in Lillian Khallouf
The Oaks Day dress code may be set in stone, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t room for experimentation – just ask Nadia Bartel.
The influencer and Henne designer knew she wanted to do something different for this year’s carnival and, in a peach crocodile-print suit by designer Lillian Khallouf, she certainly made it happen.
“I just love like anything a little bit masculine, so I love that it’s a little bit more of an oversized jacket,” says Bartel. “I feel good in it.”
The matching headpiece, designed by milliner Melissa Jackson was finished only this morning over FaceTime, then couriered over, ready for its Birdcage debut.
Paired with Saint Laurent heels and earrings, and an Oroton bag, borrowed by Bartel from a girlfriend, the entire look is polished and pretty, even if not entirely comfortable to sit in.
“Fashion is not always the most comfortable,” she says. “But it’s perfect.”
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Gyan Yankovich is lifestyle editor at the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.Connect via X.
