One of Australia’s biggest racing identities, Kate Waterhouse, is a fashion icon in her own right. Since starting her own website, katewaterhouse.com, Kate has become a fashion powerhouse, starring in the Style Channel’s reality show, Fashion Bloggers, which follows the lives of five of Australia’s biggest fashion bloggers and their global escapades.

Kate however, has just had a baby, so I’m wondering how she’s managed to fit filming in around a four-month-old girl!

“I know, it’s all been a little bit crazy,” Kate says, “they just followed me doing what I normally do, in the last month and a half or so. We went to Perth Fashion Festival and I had a lot of racing commitments, there was my Sally Hansen shoot and I have a few collaborations with Spring Carnival so it’s been on the go, that’s for sure.”

Her Sally Hansen shoot was a collaboration on their newly launched, Spring Racing collection, full of pastel colours and nudes in line with the new season.

“That’s the thing with having your own website, it kind of doesn’t stop. Even though I’d done a lot of work beforehand, in those first few weeks after the baby I was still trying to upload things and get things out. It’s great that now I can work from home and around Sophia, but your work doesn’t stop. There’s no maternity leave when you have your own website! It has been a struggle but I’m getting there. Kind of.”

Her style has definitely changed since having a baby.

Image courtesy of Instagram.

“Things are definitely more about comfort,” Kate says, “You know I’m trying to get out the door holding Sophia and trying to juggle and carry things. It’s more about practicality now. Normally I see something and if I love it, I’ll just buy it, but now it’s got to be practical and work in with my life. I’m running around in flats a lot more than I used to! They can still be stylish flats though!

Often I’m carrying too many things and I don’t have enough space for a handbag with a pram and nappy bag, so I’ll put my lipgloss and wallet in my pockets. I have this great big jacket that I wear to make things easier. It’s all about ease right now!”

Kate’s Summer Style tips

On dress lengths:

“When you’re thinking about skirt lengths, you can either go really short, or quite long, to the midi length at your calf. So it’s either ultra mini or long, nothing in the middle.”

Image courtesy of Instagram.

On colour:

“We’ve also seen so many beautiful pastels around so I think that’s going to be really big for the summer. Colour blocking with pastels is a big trend and we saw that at a lot of the collections.”

Holiday packing tips:

“I try and take things that do double duty. So I’ll take a LBD (little black dress) that I can wear with flats to the beach but if you wear it with heels, you can wear it out at dinner. I take things you can dress up or down because I don’t like to pack too much.

“I’ll normally take only a few pairs of shoes, one for the beach, one for out at night.

“Same with a clutch, I have one that has a long strap so I can wear it over my body during the day, and then take the strap off so I can use it as a clutch for dinner. Little things like that make packing so much easier because you don’t want to take too much with you.

“A great scarf is really good because you can wear it on the plane, then you can take it to the beach with you and lie it on the sand. Think of things that have multiple uses for things.”

Image courtesy of Instagram.

First fashion memory …

“My mum used to get ready for the races on Saturdays and I used to get ready with her, even though I wasn’t old enough and wouldn’t be going! So I would try on all her clothing, have it spread out all over the room. Hats on, shoes on, and I would do that every Saturday morning, I used to love it.”

Style uniform …

“Everyday for work, if I don’t have anything on, it’s a pair of leather pants or jeans, white t-shirt, blazer, high heels.”

Most fabulous fashion moment …

“Last Derby Day I worked with Hardy Bros who collaborated with Nerida Winter and they did an amazing veil with real diamonds. It was incredible, because I’d never gotten to wear diamonds on my head before!”

I look best in …

You’ll have to ask Luke that! I think you look best when you’re away on holiday and you have the day out on the beach and you’re all salty and it’s a balmy night and you’re in a lovely dress.

Image courtesy of Instagram.

My style icon is …

I never know who to say to this. I do love [fashion blogger] Miroslava Duma, she looks great pregnant at the moment.

My favourite designers are …

Camilla & Marc, Josh Goot, Dion Lee, Scanlan & Theodore, the list goes on! Internationally I love Givenchy, Balenciaga the usual suspects.

My last buy …

I bought some Balmain heels the other day that I’ve been wearing to death.

Key pieces every woman should own

A tailored blazer, a great leather jacket, some good white t-shirts and an excellent pair of jeans.

Image courtesy of Instagram.

Sexiest thing a woman can wear?

I think you feel sexiest when you’re confident so whatever you feel confident in.

This season I’m lusting after …

I love all the luxe leather backpacks around, I really want one of those.

A great new beach towel.

A luxe pair of loafers, I’d love a Chanel pair!

What are some of your Christmas holiday dressing & packing tips? Tell us in the comments below!