LCI Melbourne Students Sweep Vogue Emerging Designer Award at Melbourne Cup Carnival

The future of Australian fashion took centre stage at the Victoria Racing Club’s Fashions on the Field – Emerging Designer Award presented by Vogue, with three LCI Melbourne students taking out the top honours.
Share

Caroline Caroline claimed first place, Bryanah D’Costa took second, and Margaret Hogan secured third, marking an extraordinary clean sweep for LCI Melbourne in one of Australia’s most celebrated fashion competitions. Their work stood out for its innovation, narrative depth, and ethical craftsmanship, resonating with Vogue’s vision for a more sustainable and purpose-driven future of fashion.

Caroline’s ethereal She Lives in a Dollhouse combined the delicacy of chiffon and organdy with the strength of real wood, exploring memory and materiality.

Bryanah’s conceptual piece Thy Body is Inferior drew from her cultural heritage, using repurposed materials to explore identity and fragmentation.

Margaret’s dramatic gown, made from a pleated printed shower curtain, embodied the tension between discomfort and elegance, creating an unforgettable visual statement.

Darran Arabin-Gander, Head of Fashion at LCI Melbourne, shared, “At LCI Melbourne, we empower students to pursue their creative voice, to think critically, design fearlessly and create work that moves beyond aesthetics to meaning. This recognition at such an iconic national event shows just how powerful that voice can be.”

Adriano Di Prato, Campus Director, added, “Fashion has always been at the heart of the Melbourne Cup Carnival, a celebration of creativity, craft and culture. For our students to sweep the Vogue Emerging Designer Award is a proud moment that connects LCI Melbourne’s legacy of design excellence with the future of Australian fashion.”

Caroline’s garment will feature in Vogue Australia’s February 2026 edition. From the front lawn of Flemington to the global runway, these emerging designers have proven that storytelling through fashion remains one of the most profound forms of art.

Congratulations to Caroline, Bryanah and Margaret. The next generation of designers has arrived.