TWO Cairns schoolmates stole the show at this year's Melbourne Cup and Oaks Day - beating hundreds of others in the fashion stakes and gaining national exposure for young designer Grace Lee. 

Lana Scoville was named second runner-up in the Myer Fashions on the Field at the Melbourne Cup in a braided dress designed by Grace as part of her studies at RMIT University in Melbourne.

And if beating 760 entrants to reach the final three at the Melbourne Cup wasn’t enough, two days later they made another splash at Flemington when Lana reached the final 40 contestants in the Oaks Day Fashions on the Field against 900 others.

"It was amazing," says Lana, 21, who went to Cairns State High School with Grace.

"It was my first time at the Melbourne Cup, so it was a plus to do so well. It was all a thrill. The paparazzi was going crazy. It was pretty full on with people wanting to do interviews and photos."

Pictures: Cairns fashions

Lana said the Melbourne Cup outfit was up against some tough competition.

"Some ladies had spent unthinkable amounts of money, so it was good to see how well Grace did."

Grace, 21, said the butter cream, polyester knit dresss and cape were part of a collection of 15 pieces she had designed for her third year Bachelor of Fashion Design studies at RMIT University.

"It wasn’t made for the Melbourne Cup. It was my first collection – with all the garments inspired by the shedding of a snake skin – and I got a lot of good response from it. As I was making it, I tried it on Lana and we thought this might have a chance for the Melbourne Cup."

Two days later the girls were back with a second stunning ensemble for Oaks Day – where another of Grace’s outfits won first runner-up in 2007.

"We weren’t there to get a place. It was more of a fun event for us. At the Melbourne Cup, we tried and came third. It was fantastic," Grace says. "But the Oaks outfit was all put together the night before."

The centrepiece was a $1 op shop dress bought from Animal Welfare near Grace’s home in Draper St.

"Whenever I come home to Cairns, I go over there and get a bag of clothes for $5."

The colourful dress was shortened and teamed up with a red petticoat, vintage 1950s op shop scull cap bought in Melbourne, and new red shoes, clutch and cuffs bought in Melbourne on the day of the race meeting.

And just to add to the pressure, Grace made hats the night before for her large team of supporters. "It was a crazy time," she said.

Share this article