Fashion's week of weeks, the Melbourne Cup Carnival, will be punter-free when it begins next week, due to the ongoing impacts from COVID-19.
According to a statement released by the Victoria Racing Club (VRC), the organisation had tendered a submission to the Victorian Government detailing how the VRC could safely host small crowds within government and public health guidelines, but realised this was now not possible.
Victoria Racing Club (VRC) chairman Amanda Elliott said that the VRC made the decision to provide certainty to racegoers about whether or not they could attend.
"While we are very disappointed not to be able to welcome our members and racegoers to Cup Week, we understand the government’s commitment to keeping our community safe.
"We also recognise the need for certainty and clarity for our patrons, being only six days out from Derby day.
"We are still in discussions regarding the potential return to the track for a small number of owners, as is currently permitted in regional Victoria," she said.
The news will come as another blow to the fashion industry as the carnival helps to drive significant sales and marketing opportunities.
As revealed in the annual Melbourne Cup impact study, the four days of the 2018 Melbourne Cup Carnival delivered a record $35.4 million fashion haul.
According to the research, the $35.4 million in spending was on 357,928 individual fashion items, including 54,821 pairs of shoes, 49,559 dresses, 19,089 suits and 55,433 hats and fascinators.
Elliott added that the VRC has introduced a number of new digital initiatives for those watching from home, which includes the Myer Fashions on your Front Lawn competition.
"We’ve introduced a number of off-course initiatives including delicious picnic hampers, our Myer Fashions on your Front Lawn competition, the Lexus Melbourne Cup the Race of Dreams, digital Race book, tipping, sweepstakes competitions, trivia games as well as all the background stories to the horses, trainers and jockeys who will compete on the famous Flemington track.
"All of this is available on our new state-of-the-art interactive Cup Week website, accessible no matter where you are.
"We will play our part in supporting Victoria’s emergence from this pandemic as Melbourne moves closer to a normal environment over summer," she said.
The Myer Fashions on your Front Lawn competition invites consumers to dress up and post pictures of their outfits on social media to win prizes.
There are four new categories for consumers to enter: Mad Hatters, Cup Week Costumes, Family Ties and Lounge in Style.
Winners will be announced live on air on Stakes Day.