For those who are not familiar with Australian celebrations, the Melbourne Cup is a major horse race that happens at Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne, but watched by the whole nation. It has been running for about 150 years and according to the interwebs (so it must be true!) it is one of the richest horse races in the world!
It’s a huge event in every Aussie city and town. Even for those at work, everyone stops work to watch the race, share a drink and a silly hat. Restaurants, bars, pubs are full of Melbourne Cup lunches, and boutiques and department stores cash in on selling dresses and hats.
I’m not actually a huge fan of horse racing, betting OR drinking copious amounts of alcohol. So I don’t usually attend Melbourne Cup events, because they are pretty much wasted on me.
But this year, I was invited to a super special GH Mumm Champagne Melbourne Cup event by a PR buddy of mine (Thanks Caitlin!) at the Cottesloe Beach Hotel.
Well, since Cottesloe Beach is such a spectacular location (like Bondi Beach in Sydney, but much nicer), and since the invite made it clear it was a SERIOUS dress up event, I was inspired to try a little harder this year!
You might have read my last post… about how I painstakingly made a sculptural, arty head piece to wear, and then put together an outfit featuring a brand new dress from In Good Company and Alexander Wang. I was quite excited!
I arrived at the event and immediately found another buddy of mine, fashion stylist and blogger Andrea, looking absolutely fabulous daaarling.
The entrance was decorated with flowers (we weren’t actually at Flemington, as the sign suggests!) and there were beautiful horses being paraded on the street. Real horses! We took plenty of photos.
I tried to take a selfie with a horse, with my best horse face. But my nose is way too flat and short and obviously not long enough.
Look at us! Find a red carpet and you’re bound to find a fashion blogger on it!
We made our way up to the VIP bar and found the crème de la crème of the Perth fashion and social set.
We mingled, we sipped on champagne, and we gobbled up amazing nibbles. Then… just as we moved over to chat to the fashion designers, tv presenters, celebrities and sports stars… MY FASCINATOR BROKE. It rolled off my head, bounced off my arm and landed on the floor like a very large, and very dead mosquito.
I completely cracked up laughing. OMG how typical! How embarrassing!
Look at my dead mosquito. The sculptural bit came away from the headband bit, and in this photo, I was just holding it together in my fingers.
I put it together with sewing pins, super glue, but mostly a hot glue gun… which has never, ever failed me before! I should have used… um, computer cable ties? Fishing line? Bolts? Magic? How will I ever begin a career in millinery now? Crafty Karen FAIL.
Thankfully I had a SPARE FASCINATOR in my car. I had brought it along, in case I chickened out of wearing my DIY sculptural one. Oh the irony.
Phew. This is me with my spare fascinator, which cost me $35. I felt a bit unspecial. But it did the job. Nobody could accuse me for breaking the hat-wearing tradition.
As for the rest of the event, it was full of fabulous food, fascinators and spring fashion. There were hundreds of people there!
It had a great energy and atmosphere, it was colourful, fun and frivolous.
There was also a fashion show with clothes from ACO Boutique in Cottesloe. And there were awards for best dressed guest and best fascinator – guess who didn’t win :P
There was so much pretty fashion!
I managed to bump into a few other buddies of mine and yes, I had a fabulous time in the end daaarling!
And next year… I will consult a structural engineer about the design of my arty fascinator. Or at least my husband.
