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When Melbourne beckons for glamour, the city’s style set answers with its own sartorial call. Yet, when the invitation stipulates the location of the soiree to be the asphalt road of one of the most highly anticipated racing events of the year, the Formula 1 Melbourne Grand Prix, the dress code takes a high-voltage turn.
The annual ‘Glamour on the Grid’ event has become one of the most sought-after tickets in the Victorian capital’s social calendar. On the Wednesday night before race day, approximately 800 of Australia’s glitterati, socialites and people of note embraced the adrenaline-pumping spirit of the sport with a display of our local design scene. Of course, for an event rooted in feats of engineering and deft control over machinery, the convergence of fashion and Formula 1 felt like an exclusive party ripped from Ridley Scott or David Cronenberg’s imagination. It was theatrical in nature, with everyone from Australian supermodel Gemma Ward to new girl about town Morgan Riddle, girlfriend of American tennis player Taylor Fritz, electrifying a track exclusively reserved for the best in their field.
While most red-carpeted events begin with an ascent upstairs into the prestigious venue, Glamour on the Grid gave guests a unique arrival experience. Many attendees—GRAZIA’s senior fashion features writer, Ava Gilchrist, included—began preparations for the swanky evening well into the afternoon with a visit to one of Mecca Maxima’s many inner-city boutiques for a glam session befitting the rules of attire. This flowed onto the plethora of pre-event gatherings hosted across the city before guests were chauffeured into the grounds in black Sprinter vans that dropped invitees off at the pit stop.
Though we sat in the passenger seat as we drove through the race track, the excitement for the tournament was palpable as we literally crossed the Rolex finish line to roll up to the event. Upon our arrival, we were greeted by the inner sanctum of leading race brands like Ferreri. Yes, seeing the garage where Charles Leclerc would refuel come Sunday was a highlight, but it was the Mecca makeup artists in their bespoke orange and pink boilersuits touching up guests before hitting the step-and-repeat that was the real highlight! (Ensuring my winged eyeliner—a look created using Mecca Max’s new Zoom Zip Liquid Eyeliner—was as sharp as the last turn of the final lap mightn’t be a typical F1 experience, but what else should we expect from an event promising Glamour on the Grid?).
As the sun set over the race track, guests continued their experience inside the Marriot Bonvoy hospitality suite, dining on ceviche tacos and dancing over the two-story marquee. But while many were preoccupied with sharing a road with driving’s greats, we here at GRAZIA were focused on the technical feats achieved by the guests’ gown—the slope of the Paris Georgia dress worn with a sleeve that cuffs the shoulder and slants into a twisted cuff, the sumptuous velveteen that curves to expose the back of an Australian fashion legend, the cinched oversized belts that line the body of a former Miss Universe. If these looks are the heart-racing, power-surging style that the grid is used to, it’s apparent the spectator style at the 2024 Grand Prix will shift into overdrive. Ahead, the best fashion moments from Glamour on the Grid.
Wondering what a Mecca makeup artist keeps in her kit for trackside-touchups? From the high-octane zoom eyeliners the powerful and precise clear brow gel, keep scrolling for the beauty essentials taking you to the finish line.
