Fashion stakes hotly contested

By Tim Howard

The Purple Pearls Fashions on the Field for the Grafton Cup, brought contestants from around NSW and Queensland this year, with a couple of visitors taking out top prizes.

While Lawrence’s Amie Want, who won the Sweet Sisters Boutique Best Dressed Lady prize kept up the local end of the bargain, Newcastle visitor Sharon Edmonds and Gold Coast fashionista Nathan Desmond won the other two big prizes.

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Newcastle vistoer Sharon Edmonds’ stunning feather creation was picked up the Elm Lifestyle Millinery Award at at the Grafton Cup Purple Pearls Fashion on the Fields.

Ms Edmonds stunning feather creation won over the judges in the Elm Lifestyle Millinery Award and Mr Desmond’s Louis Vuitton suit customised by Politics, won the Connor Best Dressed Gent prize.

The trip to Grafton from Newcastle is one Ms Desmond has made before and will definitely make again next year.

Last year she “only finished in the finals” so wanted to come back this year to see if she could take it to the next level.

She had been scouring the internet for possibilities and when she found what she was looking for at Northern Territory hat maker Millinery by Mel, she was confident of her chances.

“It was absolutely stunning and picked up some of the colour in my dress,” Ms Edmonds said.

Gold Coast fashion fan Nathan Desmond attracted the judges’ eye in a Louis Vuitton suit customed by Politics win the Grafton Cup Purple Pearls Fashion in the Fields Best Dress Man prize.

Best Dressed Gent Mr Desmond’s hobby is competing at the fashion events put on at racing carnivals.

“I come from a big racing family, but this is the side of the sport I enjoy,” he said.

Unsurprisingly he rates Aquis Park, the home of the Gold Coast Turf Club his favourite track, but says Grafton rates a close second.

“I’ve been around to a few tracks and I think Grafton has a good, friendly country appeal and the racing is always good,” he said.

Mr Desmond chose a Louis Vuitton suit, which Aussie clothing company Politics customised for him for the day.

“I love doing this,” he said. “It’s my hobby, but winning here really adds to the fun.”

The winner of Best Dressed Lady prize, Ms Want, kept the flag flying with her own customisation of an A & H dress she spent many hours customising.

Ms Want’s final touch in her outfit was converting some of the fabric from the dress into a bow for the millinery.

“There’s a lot work that goes into this,” she said. “You have to find something that’s appropriate and seasonally appealing.”

Ms Want’s links to July Racing in Grafton go beyond fashions.

She and her husband John own Lawrence Park Spelling and Agistment where many thoroughbreds spend time recuperating between campaigns.

Ms Want, who is a first cousin of jockey Tegan Harrison, who was injured on South Grafton Cup day had an update on the jockey.

She said Ms Harrison was well, but waiting in hospital before heading to the Gold Coast for an operation on her collarbone.

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