One of Australia’s leading names in fashion and a Southern Highlands local, Collette Dinnegan, has been part of the judging panel for the Hessians on the Field competition at the Robertson Potato Festival last weekend.  

Dinnegan, known for her countless successes in pioneering fashion in Australia and overseas, including being the first Australian with a ready-to-wear collection in Paris, will now turn her eyes to a different type of fashion. Contestants strutted their stuff in their own ready-to-wear collections in the Paris of the Southern Highlands, Robertson.  

The Hessians on the Field Competition is unlike any other with contestants displaying clothes made from the humble potato sack competing for the right to be called ‘the Hottest of Hot Potatoes’. This year featured the new ‘Pets on the Field’ category with our favourite non-humans strutting their stuff in their paw-tato outfits. Whilst the material may be itchy & scratchy for the competitors it promises to be great for spec-taters. 

Former Yellow Wiggle Emma Watkins, featured alongside Dinnegan on the judging panel. Known for her vivacious personality and her colourful outfits, Watkins added her own twist on fashion show judging. Watkins has recently released a book as her children’s character ‘Emma Memma’ who focuses on a new generation of communication through singing, dancing and using sign language.  The competition took place on Sunday May 7 at the Robertson Showground. Prizes include two Singer sewing machines as well as cash prizes from Hill Family Potatoes.