Fashions on the Field presented by Lexus 2025: Winners announced

The stylish judging panel, including Crown special guest and international style icon Dorit Kemsley, along with Lexus Ambassador Melissa Leong, fashion journalists Damien Wollnough and Alice Coster, and Melbourne Fashion Festival CEO Caroline Ralphsmith, faced the challenging task of selecting the winners.

Best Dressed: art deco meets engineering genius

This year’s Best Dressed winner was Holly Keenan from Western Australia – a mining engineer who combined her technical skills with artistic flair. Holly’s hand-crafted design, inspired by art deco tiles, featured a mesh base and 517 laser-cut Perspex pieces meticulously arranged to create a sculptural masterpiece.

“It’s a bit heavy, but the corset helps,” she said.

“My engineering background definitely came in handy – especially when it comes to packing it for the flight home!”

It was Holly’s ninth time entering and her first major victory. “It’s such a great creative outlet outside my work in design,” she said. “I love researching fashion and building sustainable pieces I can wear again.”

Second place went to Foster Mwaba, who initially entered through the Best Dressed Digital Competition. Her vintage-inspired look struck a perfect balance of elegance and originality, featuring a custom design enhanced with DIY pearl detailing along the back – a subtle yet striking flourish that caught the judges’ attention.

Third place was awarded to Stacie Galliano from Cairns, who brought sunny Queensland spirit to Flemington in a striking buttercup-yellow creation with bold, sculptural florals. “I wasn’t even planning to come this year,” she said. “But I couldn’t resist the creativity of it all. Nothing compares to the energy here.”

Best Suited: craftsmanship and confidence

In the Best Suited category, Jenny Beard from Victoria claimed the top prize with a handmade three-piece suit crafted from floral Spotlight fabric. A regular entrant for more than 30 years, Beard is a grandmother of 11 who also once entered the family competition with her grandchildren, whose outfits she also made.

With hair and makeup done by her daughter, and her handbag a gift from her best friend, the look was a labour of love, but also a moment to celebrate creativity.

“What I love about this competition is that nothing’s off limits,” she said. “I’ve made the top 10 a few times, but this is epic.”

Second place went to Peta Bell from Geelong, whose sharp, cropped custom suit turned heads. Paired with Lana Wilkinson heels, a Stephanie Spencer bow and vintage accessories, the look was “slick, sophisticated and a little masculine – just how I wanted it,” she said.

Third place was awarded to Sherlon Garbo, a multiple-time winner celebrated for incorporating cultural storytelling into his designs. His sculptural hat and raffia-fringed bag paid homage to traditional weaving practices across Africa, the Pacific, and Australia, while his red blazer with white lapels and turquoise shirt-tie combination added theatrical flair.

A triumphant return to the front lawn

The competition’s return to the Club Lawn was met with enthusiasm from both contestants and spectators. “Entries are up by 30 per cent,” said VRC Chief Executive Officer Kylie Rogers. “We’ve seen a record number of last-minute entrants, which shows how much people are embracing racewear again. It’s fantastic to see that passion reignited.”

Each of the Best Dressed and Best Suited winners received over $41,000 in prizes, including an ABC Bullion Gold Bar valued at $17,500, $10,000 in cash, and a suite of rewards from VRC partners, including Crown, Schweppes, TAB, and TCL Electronics.

As always, the competition celebrated the essence of racing fashion – creativity, self-expression, and community, with each look capturing the spirit of Flemington.