STYLE
Worth the wait Persistence is its own kind of craft, and two of the Carnival’s best-known winners prove it. Holly Keenan’s 2025 Best Dressed win – a hand-built design of 517 laser-cut Perspex pieces arranged over a mesh base, drawing on art deco tiling – wasn’t a first attempt. It was her ninth entry, her skills as an engineer being transferred to create this wearable sculpture, and paying off. “Fashions on the Field is such a great creative outlet outside my work,” she said. “I love researching fashion and building sustainable pieces I can wear again.” Jenny Beard’s story runs longer still, spanning more than three decades. A familiar finalist many times over, and well-known for sewing her own outfits from scratch, she wore a handmade three-piece suit in floral fabric from Spotlight that took out Best Suited last year. “What I love about this competition is that nothing’s off limits,” she said.
The dress took hours to make, showcasing talent, patience and passion in equal measure.
Patience in every pleat
Cass Pisarskis, another longtime Fashions on the Field entrant, won the autumn 2025 competition in a custom tartan kilt, sourcing the fabric from Scotland and working with Lainie Brookman Couture to bring the skirt to life. Specialty Pleaters in Melbourne completed the intricate pleating. She paired it with a Karen Millen double-breasted black blazer with gold button details and a crisp white shirt. Thoughtful gold accents – a leaf brooch, a draped chain, a traditional kilt pin – tied the look together, finished with a Moore Millinery Designs button-style headpiece and a matching round clutch. “Sourcing and styling outfits is a process I love,” said Cass. “Sometimes it takes years to develop a look, but that’s what makes it special – working with artisans and specialists who are masters of their craft.”
Fancy a Gallop? | 123
Made with FlippingBook Digital Publishing Software