Racing Fashion: Burdekin Centre Front and Centre Stage Racing Fashion

When I was first asked to go to Burdekin which sometimes is just down the road from me, as I was in Melbourne I had to decline due to the financial situation of lets face it 'everyone'.

I was then enticed by flights and accommodation, and I will let you know I had no Diva Demands of first class or Thread Count Sheets. Travel and Accommodation and thank you I would love to attend.

I was laughing to myself as the list of when I started working in the fashion industry as a Model Booker at one of Melbourne's Leading Agencies (That did have Tracy Grimshaw on their books, yes she was a model and a lovely lady that I began to get to know when we both rode horses in Wonga Park) at 17 took me back some 23 years thinking, OH Gee I am old and some of the work I had forgotten about.

Racing Fashion for me, is exactly what is my site is about and how it all started.

When Racing Fashion Australia started over 5 years ago now, not many photographers went to smaller meetings, it was just the locals with the love of the horses and dressing up for the day.

Everyone knew each other. Some lived in different states and we would all catch up and have a giggle over bubbles, while husbands, boyfriends and partners were off losing their shirts.

It was a love of hats, a love of horses and not an industry.

After enjoying my time in 'Fashions on the Field', my husband would spend all day watching me and he would get more upset than myself when I did not win. He just wanted to the the quaddie on, or tell me how well that trifecta paid when I was parading. I just loved dressing up and having a great outfit and we would all talk to each other about each others outfit and hat and where we found it. It is like the biggest Trash and Treasure meet of all time.

I look around, especially this year, and now I see not what I do, nor the competition does, but how some people are trying to industrialise the Racing Fashion Market. I will always want women to think for themselves about what they purchase and why the purchase it. How does it make them feel when they wear it???

It was apparent when I started photographing. Obviously everyone thinks I make money out of this as so many are trying to replicate it. I am grateful for Burdekin for showing me why I stand as 'Racing Fashion'. I don't want you to look like a model or a picture in a magazine.

I want ladies to be well groomed and feel good and comfortable in their outfit.

This is really getting me back to the basics of what I do and why I now know my 'Racing Fashion Australia' has had millions of hits with populations watching it.

I had no idea until the untimely shooting in America of children in a child minding centre. I was depressed and crying and told my husband I could not cope today and to take the children to the park as I did not want them to see me this way. I was delving into different search engines as I really have become a computer geek sitting with a cup of tea in my Pj's with a cat perched on my kitchen table wanting attention from the computer.

I dug deeper and deeper into the person who I was and 'Racing Fashion' had become.

After a day of digging from about 7am till about 3.30 of juggling mouse and keyboard, there was an itemised list of hits and who is watching what. Demographic after Demographic. Seriously I was astounded and shocked.

I was not beginning to believe that people may be watching this 'Racing Fashion', I have since taken down the online guests and hack ability into the site, but FNQ always seems to get you back to basics. I don't know, I think it is the people. (That is Far North Queensland for the OS)

They are humble, beautiful and they talk to you because they want to say hello! They did not want anything but to showcase their beautiful outfits. This race meeting was huge, there was no Tote (TAB) but this meeting everyone was well dressed and well mannered. There were no random people in the back of bushes with shoes off and leaving the rest to your imagination. A crowd that had a day to dress up for.

This is what I stand for and 'Racing Fashion'.

The site has been offered by Big Offshore online retailers and google adds to be put on the site. I have always believed that I want my sponsors who are very few, but loyal as I am to them. It is always quality not quantity.

I refuse to look at cheap clothes made in a foreign country. Buy Australian or Bye Bye Australia! I want ladies to make their clothes, or go treasure hunting. I want the look to be individual and a statement. Burdekin was all of this that I wanted.

I am back to basics. I want people to know, yes I have precious items in my closet, but I live in Jay Jays $5 tops and cheap shorts or skirts during the week. That is when I purchase the cheap labor, not when I want to go out looking well dressed. I would rather be dressed in tatters. The look is mine and not what commercial advertising wants me to be. I am not going to change the world, but I am going to change mine so my daughter who is 4 can make decisions about herself and not what she is told to believe. I will try, I will lead her a path, but she may choose a different track as we all have the right to do.