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If buying property – a hobby second only to football in Melbourne – is all about the three Ls (location, location, location), then this year’s Brownlow was about the three Ss: streamlined, sequinned and “snatched”.
Following a decade of dominance by the ballgown, as well as the former “queens” of the red carpet who wore them (Jessie Murphy and Nadia Bartel to name but two), Monday’s AFL Brownlow red carpet ushered in a new era of simple, yet embellished, silhouettes.
The verdict: it was glamorous without producing many standout moments.
Sparkly (from left) Caitlin Seeto, Bella Beischer, Jessica Gawn and Lizzie Stock.Credit: Getty Images
Melbourne designer Sam Oglialoro, a veteran of 10 Brownlows (although he admitted that even he’d lost count), made eight gowns over a seven-week period. He said this year’s trends were “cleaner lines, simple silhouettes and detail”.
So, why do it when he clearly doesn’t need the exposure? “It’s a passion,” he said, adding that his phone will ring hot for the next few days as he fields post-Brownlow inquiries from brides and women needing black-tie gowns for the next 12 months.
Having made gowns for former Brownlow “queens” including Jessie Murphy (wife of former Carlton great Marc Murphy), Oglialoro, whose label is Oglia-Loro Couture, was excited to be working with a mix of regulars, such as Alex Pendlebury (wife of Collingwood star Scott Pendlebury) – in shimmering tangerine – and Annalise Dalins, the partner of Collingwood’s Josh Daicos, who wore a sheer ice-blue gown.
Streamlined (from left) Bel Sloane, Annalise Dalins, Demi Brereton, Alexandra Bourne. Credit: Getty
After making her Brownlow debut last year, Dalins’ social media following doubled overnight, creating a year’s worth of work opportunities for the 22-year-old model and influencer, who appears in Forever New’s current campaign. Dalins, along with her potential sister-in-law Arlette Jones (who dates Nick Daicos), are among the new crop of partners shaking up the red carpet.
Still, there were plenty of style lessons from several masters of the Brownlow red carpet, including Emma Hawkins, who bypassed the main red carpet in a scarlet red Cappellazzo Couture gown and her trademark sense of humour.
“You know you’re heading to the Brownlow when you’ve applied more tape to your body than your husband does on game days!” she wrote on Instagram, adding thanks to the team of stylists, hair and make-up artists and photographers, all of whom she dubbed “miracle workers”, who helped create her look, which included relaxed soft waves by celebrity hairdresser Marie Uva.
Speaking of hair, it tended to go one of two ways: natural and loose, or “snatched” into a high ponytail. Collingwood skipper Darcy Moore, who arrived with partner Dee Salmin, also made a hair statement by slicking his trademark platinum locks into a bun for the night, which without his game-day headband made many on the red carpet do a double take.
Snatched hair (from left) Paris Lawrence, Darcy Moore, Tippah Dwan and Alex Pendlebury.Credit: Getty Images
Stylist Paul Versace agreed the Brownlow was the most important fashion event on the social calendar and one that could set up the people who work behind the scenes, often for next to no cash, for the year ahead in higher-paid gigs. “It sets you up for the event season,” he says.
Such is the demand these days for professional stylists that Versace says he was inundated with 25 inquiries, but took on only as many as he could handle to ensure he could create a fashion ‘moment’ for each client. Stylist Lana Wilkinson, who admitted she had taken on more clients than she had initially planned, also said interest this year was at an all-time high.
Increasingly, the players are doubling down on their partners’ connections and also using a stylist to help put together their looks. While men’s fashion traditionally takes a back seat, there were several standouts, including Josh Daicos in Boss, a perfect match for his prized possession (aside from Dalins) – a Rolex watch. Gold Coast’s Touk Miller, who last year set a micro-trend with Max Gawn in velvet jackets, opted for white, perfect for the more balmy conditions.
And while the Voice referendum failed to materialise on the red carpet – politics and football ought not to mix, many say – sustainability may be finally making its presence felt.
Felicity Harley, wife of Sydney’s CEO and former Geelong Cat Tom Harley, worked with stylist Donny Galella on her look, which included a red Amanda Tasevski gown that was worn once before by a woman attending a wedding.
“We wanted to do something eco-friendly this year,” Galella says. To complete the look, Harley’s clutch and jewels were also vintage.
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