South Australian Myer Fashions on the Field Final 2014

The South Australia Myer Fashions on the Field State final was a very exciting one for OTOT! Both Lisa and I headed down to Morphetville racecourse in Adelaide. We were thrilled to take part in the competition by sitting at the judges table. Other judges on the day included last years winner Jen Marsh and Myer Ambassador Kate Peck.The standard was incredibly high and a number of contestants had taken advantage of the long weekend and flown in from interstate to enjoy the day and try their luck in the competition. The timing for the South Australia Final is a little tricky as the calendar dictates that it is actually autumn- therefore Autumn millinery should be worn. However the scorcher of a day (mid 30s and very humid) and the need for the finalist to compete in spring meant that most contestants had sensibly worn their best spring/summer racewear. There were some tough decisions to be made with over 100 contestants taking part, and finally we got down to the top 10.The ultimate victor on the day was Cairns girl Michelle Boyes. She was unable to make it to the QLD final earlier in the year and made a last minute decision to compete in Adelaide. She made the trip with her best friend Donita Piccolo who just so happens to be a makeup artist for Napoleon and got Michelle ready for the day. Michelle stood out in her bright and bold Prabal Gurung dress, topped off with an unusual perspex flower headpiece by Cairns milliner Amanda Macor.Second place went to Emily Knowles from Adelaide. She almost missed the finals as in the confusion of the preliminary judging her number was missed. Fortunately her tall hat stood out and she was quickly grabbed by Kate Peck to line up for her place in the finals. Kate joked that Emily was crying her eyes out in the bathroom, but she informed Lisa she was actually downing a daiquiri! Emily wore a Zara dress she had purchased in Paris and her millinery was by Joanna Roberts.Third place went to Shandelle Moore, also from Adelaide. She wore a top and skirt from Cue with millinery by Moore Millinery Designs. She attended the day with her three sisters who also competed.  Lisa and I had a great day and were treated to hospitality in the Myer Marquee. We had a beautiful lunch and each guest was given gift to take home. As Myer sponsored race 6, each guest was given a number to take part in the Myer Fashion Sweep. Unfortunately neither Lisa or I had the winning horse but Lisa did get to take part in the presentations for the race in the mounting yard. After a very fun Adelaide Cup filled with fashion and racing it was time for the OTOT reunion to come to an end. I headed back to Melbourne and Lisa went home on a flight to London.By Angela Menz

Tasmanian Myer Fashions on the Field Final 2014

The second state final for Myer's Fashions on the Field was lucky to have a winner. Staged mostly in 35-degree sunshine, the Tasmanian competition crowned its winner just before freakish 120 km/h winds blew through the racecourse and forced the Hobart Cup to be rescheduled to a later date.As expected, there was a healthy dose of interstate competitors among the 80 ladies who took to the stage in their finest racewear. Unexpectedly, it was a clean sweep for New South Wales entrants, with judges including Myer ambassador Kate Peck and style editor of the Hobart Mercury, Brigitte Kolbe, awarding all top three spots to ladies from the state.Taking top honours was Nowra local Brooke Strahan in perhaps one of the most understated and original ensembles we've seen in recent years.Brooke's outfit consisted of a recycled Alpha 60 dress (she wore it previously to claim runner-up at the Ballan Cup) with cut-out armholes worn over a grey singlet. She paired it with a striking bespoke leather hat with orchid detailing made by Sophie Allport, and added grey and white gloves, a vintage clutch and white pumps to finish her winning look.Sophie will represent Tasmania in the 2014 Myer Fashions on the Field national final, winning a 10-day trip of a lifetime to the Melbourne Cup Carnival at Flemington.Familiar faces at Fashions on the Field events, Chantelle Buckley and Lisa Wellings, were named first and second runners-up respectively.Chantelle was dressed in an outfit made by her mother in tones of champagne, green and cobalt blue, with a rather spectacular knotted sisal headpiece, which was also created by her clever mum.Lisa, a former state finalist for NSW, matched her Miss Sixty digital print dress to an eye-catching Liza Stedman parasisal and crin headpiece with ostrich feather explosions.The next round of Myer Fashions on the Field state finals takes place in South Australia at the Adelaide Cup meeting on March 10 (yes, that's a Monday). This is a special one for us as we'll be there, and hope to bring you live coverage from the event. I (Lisa) will also be sitting on the judging panel and am hoping to see plenty of South Australian ladies turn up in their finest, most stand-out and unique racewear looks. Adelaide has never had a national winner in Myer Fashions on the Field - perhaps 2014 is the year this changes?By Lisa TanPhoto credits: VRC Instagram and Sophie Allport Designs Facebook page.

Magic Millions 2014- Kate Peck

The countdown is on the the Myer Fashions on the Field at Magic Millions 2014. Held at the Gold Coast the event will be hosted by international model, VJ, MTV presenter and recently appointed Myer Ambassador Kate Peck.As a woman who knows her fashion, Kate has a few tips for ladies entering FOTF on Saturday 11th January.“I’m thrilled to emcee the Myer Fashions on the Field at Magic Millions and I’m very keen to see what the local fashionistas will be wearing trackside.“Racing fashion is all about finding that fine balance between contemporary trends and traditional racewear and I can’t wait to see what the Queensland competitors bring to the 2014 Myer Fashions on the Field competition.  I think it’s important to dress appropriately for the day and I will be looking for lady-like elegance, attention to detail and millinery is a must!”“I’m really excited to not only MC the Myer Fashions on the Field competition, but to also mix with the talented Myer designers & Milliners, Australia top fashion and racing identities in the Moet Chandon marquee”“A tip for the ladies wearing fascinators – do a trial run prior to the day to ensure your headband/fascinator is not going to squeeze your head so tight, there’s nothing worse than a fascinator headache”.Remember- this year, the winner of the Women's Racewear Fashions on the Field will go on to represent QLD at the Melbourne Cup Carnival in November.Pre-registration for FOTF is open now until 5pm Wednesday 8th January hereBy Angela Menz