The 20-year-old former rugby cheerleader was modelling the seven-kilogram (15-pound) metallic lace dress at a fashion show for Westfield's shopping centers. In a shocking scene, the bottom section of a stunning blue-and-gold gown Hawkins was modelling for a packed crowd fell down around her ankles.
Showing the composure which helped her win the Miss Universe crown in June, Hawkins simply turned on her heels and sauntered back-stage to camera flashes and a few gasps from the audience.
A man in the crowd said she appeared to trip as she turned away from the crowd.
"She came and said a few words and she went to walk off and seemed to trip on her dress," the man said last night.
"The dress fell about her knees, she giggled and then rushed off."
Hawkins recently returned to Australia for the first time since winning the Miss Universe pageant and she was wearing the same lavish evening dress designed for the pageant.
Thursday's mishap was reminiscent of an incident at the American football Superbowl in February when superstar Janet Jackson famously bared a breast during the half-time show.
Managers initially claimed there had been a "wardrobe malfunction", but the singer later apologised for having inserted the "costume reveal" into her show without warning sponsors or the television network which broadcast the performance live.
