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If buying property \u2013 a hobby second only to football in Melbourne \u2013 is all about the three Ls (location, location, location), then this year\u2019s Brownlow was about the three Ss: streamlined, sequinned and \u201csnatched\u201d.<\/p>\n
Following a decade of dominance by the ballgown, as well as the former \u201cqueens\u201d of the red carpet who wore them (Jessie Murphy and Nadia Bartel to name but two), Monday\u2019s AFL Brownlow red carpet ushered in a new era of simple, yet embellished, silhouettes.<\/p>\n
The verdict: it was glamorous without producing many standout moments.<\/p>\n
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Sparkly (from left) Caitlin Seeto, Bella Beischer, Jessica Gawn and Lizzie Stock.<\/span>Credit: <\/span>Getty Images<\/cite><\/p>\n Melbourne designer Sam Oglialoro, a veteran of 10 Brownlows (although he admitted that even he\u2019d lost count), made eight gowns over a seven-week period. He said this year\u2019s trends were \u201ccleaner lines, simple silhouettes and detail\u201d.<\/p>\n So, why do it when he clearly doesn\u2019t need the exposure? \u201cIt\u2019s a passion,\u201d 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.<\/p>\n Having made gowns for former Brownlow \u201cqueens\u201d 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) \u2013 in shimmering tangerine \u2013 and Annalise Dalins, the partner of Collingwood\u2019s Josh Daicos, who wore a sheer ice-blue gown.<\/p>\n Streamlined (from left) Bel Sloane, Annalise Dalins, Demi Brereton, Alexandra Bourne. <\/span>Credit: <\/span>Getty<\/cite><\/p>\n After making her Brownlow debut last year, Dalins\u2019 social media following doubled overnight, creating a year\u2019s worth of work opportunities for the 22-year-old model and influencer, who appears in Forever New\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n \u201cYou know you\u2019re heading to the Brownlow when you\u2019ve applied more tape to your body than your husband does on game days!\u201d she wrote on Instagram, adding thanks to the team of stylists, hair and make-up artists and photographers, all of whom she dubbed \u201cmiracle workers\u201d, who helped create her look, which included relaxed soft waves by celebrity hairdresser Marie Uva.<\/p>\n Speaking of hair, it tended to go one of two ways: natural and loose, or \u201csnatched\u201d 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.<\/p>\n Snatched hair (from left) Paris Lawrence, Darcy Moore, Tippah Dwan and Alex Pendlebury.<\/span>Credit: <\/span>Getty Images<\/cite><\/p>\n 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. \u201cIt sets you up for the event season,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n 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 \u2018moment\u2019 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.<\/p>\n Increasingly, the players are doubling down on their partners\u2019 connections and also using a stylist to help put together their looks. While men\u2019s 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) \u2013 a Rolex watch. Gold Coast\u2019s Touk Miller, who last year set a micro-trend with Max Gawn in velvet jackets, opted for white, perfect for the more balmy conditions.<\/p>\n And while the Voice referendum failed to materialise on the red carpet \u2013 politics and football ought not to mix, many say \u2013 sustainability may be finally making its presence felt.<\/p>\n Felicity Harley, wife of Sydney\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n \u201cWe wanted to do something eco-friendly this year,\u201d Galella says. To complete the look, Harley\u2019s clutch and jewels were also vintage.<\/p>\n Make the most of your health, relationships, fitness and nutrition with our<\/i><\/b> Live Well newsletter<\/i><\/b>. <\/i><\/b>Get it in your inbox every Monday<\/i><\/b>.<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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