TDE founder Alyce Tran ventured to Derby Day at Flemington to experience the monochrome magic in the Birdcage with Mumm and Bumble. Alyce’s day began with breakfast in the Qantas Club as she flew from Sydney to Melbourne that morning. Melbourne is a regular destination for Alyce, spending 40 per cent of her month in the city with her partner who resides there.
At 10.30am, it was time for hair and makeup. “LMB Management amazingly put on a Styling Suite, so I was lucky enough to have my hair and makeup done there,” Alyce said. Alyce coordinated her low-key beauty look with an ensemble put together with the help of her sister Caroline Tran, who happens to be Fashion Editor at Harper’s BAZAAR Australia and ELLE Australia.
“I wore a Loewe dress, Altuzarra headband, Manolo Blahnik shoes and TDE bag of course,” Alyce said. “With my race looks, I always like to buy pieces I can wear again and everything I had on can definitely be subsumed into my everyday wardrobe.”
When it comes to selecting footwear for Derby Day, Alyce always abides by her fashion rules. “Standing around all day, I always opt for a low heel, so I don’t have to feel any pain,” she said.
Pairing her Manolos with a monogrammed Black Vertical Clutch by TDE, Alyce was able to adapt her arm candy to suit the social environment on the day. “This one comes with a long strap, so it’s super handy if you have a drink in one hand and a racebook in the other,” Alyce said.
With her TDE bag packed with lip balm and a TDE Phone Charger, Alyce was ready to depart at 11.30am in her private car, joking that she wished she had booked a helicopter. “Inevitably I always seem to run close to 20% low battery every day and I never want to be caught without my phone,” Alyce said.
Once Alyce made it to Flemington, she was ready to enjoy the company of her many friends in attendance and focus on fun. “I didn’t place a bet, I didn’t even see a horse,” said Alyce. Her highlight of the day was dancing with fellow South Australian Chris Kontos, who provided plenty of entertainment making the most of the merchandise.
As she grazed on the sumptuous cheese platter at Bumble, Alyce was able to take in her sartorial surroundings. “[I spotted] more pared back and relaxed looks than previous years, a lot of trousers for women which is great,” Alyce said.
Alyce’s sister Caroline wore a white, off-the-shoulder crepe maxi dress by Rejina Pyo, with accessories by Chanel and The Row. “I loved my sister’s look actually,” Alyce said. “You would think I would have seen it prior, but I hadn’t.”
“I don’t have specific labels I see as racewear labels, I think you can find pieces from across any designer’s collections to make them work,” Alyce said. “I think online stores like Net-A-Porter and Matches really do great edits for the races.”
A notable look on the day was Kate Waterhouse wearing an Alessandra Rich blazer and skirt, reminiscent of an eighties power suit with a ruffled peplum from Net-A-Porter. The racewear icon wore her Christian Louboutin heels and a bag by Bvlgari with a tiara and earrings by Chaumet. “I love Kate Waterhouse, I feel she nails it every year,” Alyce said.
The day ended in for Alyce when she was collected by her driver prior to the onslaught of traffic out of Flemington. Enjoying a quiet night after her Derby Day experience, she will likely plan a return next year. “I took it easy as I still have Melbourne Cup and Oaks Day to go,” Alyce said.
Of her Melbourne Cup Day plans, Alyce said it will be “basically the same thing again but a different outfit.” And of course, we can expect to see some key racewear pieces by TDE.
As the black and whites of Derby Day bloom into Melbourne Cup colours, TDE’s spring racing palette includes sky blue, peach, pale pink, burgundy, taupe and black in a range of textures and styles to accentuate your aesthetic across the FATR season.
You can follow Alyce’s Melbourne Cup and Oaks Day adventures @Alyce_Tran on Instagram.
