For wives and girlfriends of AFL and NRL stars, the Brownlow Medal and Dally M Awards are the biggest red carpet events of the year.
And while it looks glamorous from the outside, there is a lot of hard work, big decisions, styling and laborious beauty treatments going on behind the scenes.
So to offer a glimpse into the behind the scenes world of the WAGs, celebrity stylist Lana Wilkinson has opened up about the process and shared some fun, preparation snaps on her social media pages.
This year for the Brownlow Medal, Lana styled Jessie Murphy, Jordan Ablett, Ruby Keddie and Belinda Sloane – each of them big names on the esteemed red carpet on Monday night.
For wives and girlfriends of sporting stars, the Brownlow Medal and Dally M Awards are one of the biggest red carpet events of the year (Belinda Sloane pictured being dolled up by Lana Wilkinson)
So to offer a glimpse into the behind the scenes world of the WAGs, celebrity stylist Lana Wilkinson has opened up about the process and shared some fun, preparation snaps on her social media pages (pictured is Jessie Murphy getting glammed)
This year, for the Brownlow Medal, Lana styled Jessie Murphy, Jordan Ablett, Ruby Keddie (pictured) and Belinda Sloane – each of them big names on the esteemed red carpet on Monday night
As a result, Lana was responsible for arranging their entire look – from their gown (chosen from three designers Oglia-Loro Couture, J’Aton and Cappellazzo Couture) and accessories to their hair and make up.
Speaking to Whimn, Lana said her goal on the night was to ‘dress each of their personalities to showcase the best of them’ – but admitted it is a ‘daunting’ task for them ‘with the cameras and everyone looking at you’.
‘The Brownlow lets you be a bit more risqué than the Logies. Because they’re not ‘celebrities’, there’s not that expectation they should look a certain way,’ Lana said, adding that ‘there is an opportunity to elevate someone’s personal brand’.
Lana was responsible for arranging their entire look – from their gown (chosen from three designers Oglia-Loro Couture, J’Aton and Cappellazzo Couture) and accessories to their hair and make up
Lana said her goal on the night was to ‘dress each of their personalities to showcase the best of them’ – but admitted it is a ‘daunting’ task for them ‘with the cameras and everyone’
Pictured is the woman behind the style, Lana Wilkinson
The stylist said the complete look is the result of a series of ‘calculated’ decisions between herself, the client and the designer.
‘The girls don’t walk out the door without me seeing them first. It’s a well-oiled machine. I’ve got two assistants with me, and I’m right in there. I’m only as good as the people around me,’ she said.
Lana also said the women need to fit in their dresses perfectly, know the ideal angles and be prepared with Hollywood tape, baby wipes and soda water in case of unexpected emergencies.
For Channel Seven red carpet host Belinda Sloane, she said she’d decided to ‘up the ante’
Speaking of Jessie Murphy’s stunning Oglia-Loro Couture gown, Lana said she had ‘taken Jessie’s baby bump as an extra accessory but stayed very fashion forward’
Taking to her Instagram on Monday evening, Lana said the Brownlow Medal was the ‘biggest day’ of her event calendar.
Speaking of Jessie Murphy’s stunning Oglia-Loro Couture gown, Lana said she had ‘taken Jessie’s baby bump as an extra accessory but stayed very fashion forward’.
For Ruby Keddie, she opted for an ‘insane, white really strong bold cling line dress’ from Cappellazzo Couture and for Channel Seven red carpet host Belinda Sloane, she said she’d decided to ‘up the ante’.
‘She’s in a bold colour and quite a strong power shoulder so it’s going to be quite a moment,’ Lana said of the Cappellazzo Couture number.
For Jordan Ablett, Lana said her form-fitting J’Aton Couture dress was designed to ‘inject a lot of her personality’ and complement her ‘generosity’ and ‘softness’
For Ruby Keddie, she opted for an ‘insane, white really strong bold cling line dress from Cappellazzo Couture
‘She’s in a bold colour and quite a strong power shoulder so it’s going to be quite a moment,’ Lana said of the Cappellazzo Couture number
For Jordan Ablett, Lana said her form-fitting J’Aton Couture dress was designed to ‘inject a lot of her personality’ and complement her ‘generosity’ and ‘softness’.
The Dally M red carpet is much the same, with celebrity stylist Donny Galella previously speaking to FEMAIL about the night and his dos and don’ts on the big night.
Mr Galella, who has more than 10 years experience in the industry, styled 20 women for the NRL’s Dally M Awards in 2016.
But while the event was the ‘night of nights’ for players and their partners, it was a good six weeks in the making for Mr Galella.
Red carpet glamour: Celebrity stylist Donny Galella previously revealed what goes on behind the scenes of the red carpet. He dressed Tegan Martin (pictured) for the 2016 Dally M Awards
Fashion muse: Mr Galella (pictured) is the man behind the style and previously shared his tips with Daily Mail Australia
He revealed a red carpet outfit can take more than a month of planning, and he conducts ‘style surveys’ with his clients to determine what they like and don’t like and what body parts they are most happy with.
While the most common question on the red carpet is ‘who are you wearing’, Mr Galella said designer labels are not always the right choice.
‘I’ve seen countless women pour themselves into an uncomfortable, ill-fitting dress, that looks horrendous on them, only because they want to say ‘I am wearing such and such’,’ he said.
‘When I try on dresses with clients, I sometimes hide the label.
‘Ignore brands and designers, look for a dress that you put on and instantly feel absolutely fantastic, the perfect dress should flatter your body and highlight your best assets.’
Final fitting: Mr Galella said this red two-piece was not Kelly’s first choice, but she pulled it off and looked ‘a million bucks’
If the dress fits: He encouraged women to ignore brands and designers and instead choose a dress that made them feel ‘absolutely fantastic’
Less is more: If your dress is busy with embellishment take it easy on the bling, Mr Galella said
‘If you are busty and wearing a low cut neckline, make sure you use Hollywood tape to prevent any nip slips,’ Mr Galella said.
‘If you are doing no bra, wear some nipple covers.
‘If you can’t wear a bra but need lift and support use boob lifting tape, Kim Kardashian is a master at this.’
Another tip is to keep some baby wipes on hand should you accidentally get a mark on your dress.
Tricks of the trade: Carry baby wipes in case you get a mark on your dress
Perfect accessories: A good clutch is a red carpet must, Mr Galella’s go to brand is Australian label Olga Berg
Jewel in the crown: Statement earrings are on trend, but choose jewellery carefully to match your outfit
‘Right from the outset I get my clients input to make sure they will be happy,’ he said.
‘Yes sometimes we have conflicting ideas, I always listen to them but always try illustrate my point of view so they can see where I am coming from.’
He does this by taking photos of different outfit choices which can be laid side-by-side to give a clear view of how it looks.
‘Photos don’t lie,’ he said.
‘In fact when I do fittings, I take frontal, side and back pics to show them how the outfit will photograph. That is such an important part of the process.’