It's known as the race that stops a nation, but for fashion fans, the Melbourne Cup is a runway where millinery is the undisputed star.

At this year's Cup, racegoers drew inspiration from mid-century trends and vintage style icons, such as Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis.

And they were leaning toward bold, bright colours, a Victorian milliner said.

In a sea of colourful fascinators and angular hats bobbing in the crowd, milliner Felicity Northeast could spot one of her creations across Flemington Racecourse.

The milliner, based in Mount Eliza on the Mornington Peninsula, said she liked to sidle up beside the racegoer to introduce herself and to check how they had styled her hat.

"It's quite fun at the races to spot your hats in the crowd, sometimes even years after you sold them," she

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