Friend’s dress a winner for Kate

By Sarah Schwager
A LAST-minute entry in her friend’s dress won Kate Barnes the $7000 prize at the Myer Country Fashions on the Field at Cranbourne.
Country Fashions on the Field ambassador Jamie Lowe said she convinced her friend to come along to the Browns Sawdust and Shavings Cranbourne Cup and enter the fashion event.
The Keysborough resident proved she has a strong future in fashion after providing Ms Barnes’ outfit and helping dress another friend who ended up coming second.
Ms Barnes, 19, wore a beige and black Bettina Liano dress, Kim Fletcher hat and her own shoes. Second place and a $1000 spending voucher at Cue went to Natascha Witzleb from Caulfield who wore a Zimmerman dress, Kim Fletcher hat, vintage shoes and Chanel clutch.
Lauren Kok was speechless after she took out third prize and a $600 shopping spree at Myer.
The Fashions on the Field turned out to be a tough event with the judges taking an unusually long time to deliberate, halting the event for the sixth race as the contestants stood around desperately trying to keep their fascinators from flying away in the wind.
Judges Simon Winter, Josie Da’Ruso, Joanne Palmucci and Alex Fevola, wife of Carlton footballer Brendan Fevola, eventually decided Ms Barnes the most worthy of the title.
Ms Barnes said she was still deciding how she would spend her prize but was looking forward to her shopping spree at Myer in Frankston or Dandenong.
“I need some make-up and maybe a new television for my room,” she said, with her parents hinting they were quite happy to help spend the $7000.
Ms Lowe could not have been prouder of her friend.
“She wasn’t even coming. I put together the outfit for her and woke her up and said wear this. She looked amazing, it fits her perfectly,” she said.
Ms Lowe, 20, will be out at country race days to promote racing and fashion.