Year 10 student Millie Wyatt won first place at Emirates Stakes Day Fashions on the Field at Flemington.By Lilly O’Gorman
CRANBOURNE teenager Millie Wyatt couldn’t hold back the tears when judges announced she was the most fashionable young entrant in the Emirates Stakes Day Fashions on the Field competition at Flemington.
It took eight months of planning, fabric-matching, lounge room fashion parades, and interstate correspondence to achieve the finished outfit, but the result spoke for itself.
Millie wowed the crowd and the judges on Saturday 5 November in the Senior Girls category, for entrants aged 13 to 17.
The winning outfit was an eye-catching green polka dot dress by Sydney designer Mackenzie Mode, purchased from a Chapel Street boutique, a custom made hat by Queensland milliner Terri Oswald and red accessories sourced from Myer.
Her creation fit the ‘fun and fashionable racewear’ competition brief to a tee.
She was also judged on grooming and deportment and the age-appropriateness, style and originality of her outfit.
The fashion-forward 15-year-old was shocked when the judges called her name, following years spent struggling to make it past the preliminary finals.
This year, however, careful planning and painstaking attention to detail meant nothing was left to chance.
It is clear competing in the event is a hobby this aspiring fashion journalist takes very seriously.
“It took a fair bit of planning,” Millie said. “I got the dress in April, I saw it and thought, I have got to have it. I sent (milliner Terri Oswald) the photo and she came up with a design for the matching hat.
“It took a few emails back and forth, and sent different colour options down so we could match it to the dress exactly. “You have to be careful, though, because the fashion can change. This year, with colour blocking becoming such a big trend, I quickly chucked in a red bag.”
The fun, vintage inspired outfit was a bit of a departure from Millie’s usual casual style and penchant for florals and pinks but the keen fashionista knows it pays to be different.
“The first year I entered I wore a Myer dress and so many girls had the same dress, so I came home and thought I’d try to go to boutiques and designers to make sure no one had my dress next time,” she said.
“You have got to be unique to stand out from the crowd.”
Her advice for other aspiring race wear winners was to steer clear of dresses that are too short, which may young girls donned on the day.“It doesn’t look like race wear,” she said.“Be confident on stage and be confident in what you wear because that will show in the outfit. You also need to stay true to yourself because if you don’t like what you wear, that will show.”
Millie won two tickets to Dubai travelling business class, a travel money voucher, $1000 Myer voucher, a television, and a 20 person laser tag party.
Perhaps her favourite reward was the chance to meet the stars of her favourite television show Home and Away. “Brax (actor Steve Peacocke) came out and congratulated me, he is so adorable, he’s my favourite.”
