The Melbourne Cup might have the race day glory, and Oaks Day may technically have the style crown thanks to hosting the Fashions on the Field final.
uncertain
Day → have → final
However, speak to most people, and they’ll tell you the same thing: Derby Day is the “real” fashion moment of the spring carnival, and you don’t get much more fashion than having a ’90s supermodel in your midst.
Here are the attendees who were a masterclass in trackside style.
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who → speak → style
Helena Christensen and Rebecca Vallance in Rebecca Vallance
If you can trust anyone to serve, it’s a supermodel, and they don’t come much more super than Helena Christensen.
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they → trust → Christensen
When the Danish model stepped into the Lexus pavilion today, the air seemed to still, and then the bulbs began to flash.
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bulbs → step → pavilion
Christensen was accompanied by Australian designer Rebecca Vallance, who also designed both of their chic Derby Day looks.
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who → accompany → looks
“I love how Rebecca celebrates femininity while keeping everything modern and sophisticated,” Christensen says.
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Christensen → love → everything
“There’s such beautiful attention to detail in her designs, and I really appreciate the craftsmanship.”
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I → ’ → craftsmanship
Christensen’s black and white tweed two-piece top and skirt featured pearl detailing and was elegance epitomised.
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top → feature → detailing
She completed the look with a Nerida Winter hat and Jimmy Choo heels.
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She → complete → hat
“I started with Helena,” Vallance says of the design process.
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Vallance → start → process
“Her beautiful body, her beautiful curves and the silhouette that I knew that she was after.
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she → know → that
Then I put an RV spin on it.”
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I → put → it
Christensen says that the creative collaboration felt true to her personal style.
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collaboration → say → style
“I’ve always been inspired by vintage fashion, particularly the elegance and individuality of different eras,” she says.
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she → inspire → eras
“I love pieces that have a timeless quality but still feel fresh and modern.
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that → love → quality
Vallance herself opted for a sleek cream dress with a delicate black lace trim which added a nice point of contrast.
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which → opt → contrast
Her black leather opera gloves and coordinating pillbox hat kept things firmly on trend.
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gloves → coordinate → trend
“I wanted to be more minimal today,” Vallance says.
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Vallance → want → ?
is famously black and white, but that doesn’t stop some attendees from exploring the grey area in between.
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that → stop → between
The Melbourne interior designer was a total style standout in a grey Commes des Garcon dress he purchased on a recent trip to Paris.
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he → purchase → Paris
“This was a one-off, which always makes it a bit special,” Perera explains of the dress, made from repurposed men’s suiting material.
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Perera → make → material
He accessorised with a bedazzled green grape clutch reminiscent of the Judith Lieber bags favoured by another fashion icon, Carrie Bradshaw.
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He → accessorise → icon
“It’s very obviously out of the theme, but it’s nice to mix it up.”
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it → ’ → it
Rozalia Russian in Steven Khalil
The skirt suite was a recurring theme on the recent spring/summer 2027 runways, and Rozalia Russian nailed the trend.
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Russian → recur → trend
“I always like to feel very ladylike at the races,” Russian says inside the Lexus pavilion.
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Russian → like → pavilion
Russian worked with Sydney-based Steven Khalil on the custom lace look, which was tailored exquisitely and featured a plunging neckline with coordinating hat.
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which → work → hat
Russian completed the look with elaborate Saint Laurent crimson earrings and a sleek Bulgari bag.
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Russian → complete → earrings
“I feel like it’s almost John Galliano-era Dior,” she says.
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she → feel → ?
Indeed, it brings just the right amount of drama, without any of the controversy.
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it → bring → controversy
“I’ve always loved a pinstripe suit, but honestly, it was all Simon,” says Isaac Quaynor of his custom Oscar Hunt suit, giving all credit to his stylist, Simon Finnegan.
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Quaynor → love → stylist
“These glasses are my babies,” he says.
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he → say → ?
Either way, the Collingwood football player encapsulates perfectly sprezzatura; the Italian word for style that is simultaneously sharp without ever feeling forced.
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that → encapsulate → style
Camilla Freeman-Topper in Camilla and Marc
Leave it to Camilla Freeman-Topper to show us how raceday fashion can look cool.
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fashion → leave → us
Freeman-Topper wore a full look from her eponymous label, Camilla and Marc, for the occasion, pairing a cream tailored double-breasted jacket with a fringe-tiered skirt.
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Topper → wear → skirt
Opting for contrasting black accessorised, the designer was every inch sartorial insouciance.
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designer → opt → accessorised
“Elegant, sculptural tailoring always wins,” she says of what sparked her inspiration for Derby Day.
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what → win → Day
The Aporia
