Designers lend a hand to Spender,Sharma campaigns

From canvas totes to organic cotton caps and doggy bandanas,Allegra Spender,the independent candidate for the federal seat of Wentworth,has an online shop bursting with political merchandise.

Supporters can get their hands on a free T-shirt and yard sign,but a tote bag or organic cotton cap will set you back $15.

The daughter of Liberal blue-bloodJohn Spenderand late fashion iconCarla Zampattisays her designer sisterBianca Spenderlent her fashion nous when it came to looking at campaign colours.

“Supporters have absolutely loved our merch,” a campaign spokesperson told Emerald City. “There was a run on our dog bandanas at the campaign launch. It looks like we’re going to have to get a third batch done.”

However,it seems like Wentworth MPDave Sharma has just as much designer pull,confirming that designersCamilla Freeman-Topper andMarc Freeman,of label Camilla and Marc,are responsible for Sharma’s campaign T-shirts. “They’re acquaintances and constituents of Wentworth and helped with my campaign tees,” Sharma confirmed.

“Unlike the opposition,I don’t sell any merchandise – we hand them out and give them to volunteers,” he added.

Ruby and Doddsy expecting

Byron Bay influencerRuby Tuesday Mathews and fiance Shannan ‘Doddsy’ Dodds have plenty to celebrate.

Emerald City can reveal the pair,who have been dating since 2020,are due to welcome their first child together. Friends within their inner-circle have told Emerald City Ruby is “around 12 weeks along”. The couple were out and about just last month at the glamorous nuptials ofAndy El Bayeh andHarriet Williams,where many of the guests were none the wiser about Ruby’s pregnancy.

Ruby,a full-time mum and influencer,shares two sons,Rocket,4,andMars,3,with her ex Ryan Heywood. She recently purchased a weatherboard home in the North Rivers area,which she and Doddsy plan to renovate in the coming months.

It’s welcome news for the couple after Ruby had a miscarriage last August,two months after they got engaged. “This is something I would have preferred to keep out of social media,but the amount of questions I was getting daily asking if I was pregnant is the reason I feel the need to share,” Ruby said at the time on Instagram.

“We didn’t want to share as I have been through this before almost losing Mars,but sadly we lost our little boy.”

TV auctioneer under fire

Eastern suburbs auctioneerDamien Cooley ignited a social media firestorm this week after posting a photo of himself alongside a dead deer on Instagram last week. The post,in which he proclaimed he had achieved a “big life goal”,was subsequently removed after he says he received threats to his safety.

“I’ve had a number of personal threats made towards me,but I’ve saved them all in case I ever need them,” he said.

Cooley,who is a farmer in addition to being an auctioneer added,“Deer are classed as a feral animal in NSW and are culled regularly. I hunt for the table and my family enjoy eating venison and many other animals like rabbits,pigs and more.”

Meanwhile,Cooley and his wife of 15 years,Peppi,have quietly separated. “It is still pretty raw,” he stated. The couple tied the knot in 2006 and have three kids together.

Cooley,who started his successful real estate auction business at 23,is no stranger to reality television having overseen the winning auction onThe Block several times and starred on The Renovators,Under the Hammer,Hot Auctions and Selling Houses Australia.

Melbourne elite gather trackside

Despite logistical hiccups that left the Melbourne social set tramping through grass on Wednesday evening,nothing could dampen spirits ahead of the Glamour on the Grid party to kick off the Australian Grand Prix.

Emerald City was there as a guest of the Grand Prix,soaking up the high-octane energy and atmosphere of Pit Lane. A who’s who of the arts,sporting and business worlds were in attendance,including Melbourne Cup-winning jockeyMichelle Payne,Tokyo moguls olympian and f1 ambassador Jakara Anthony,modelKris Smith, actress April Pengillyand a camera and crowd-shy musicianTones and I (Toni Watson),who opted to huddle among her posse than work the room.

Sydneysiders flocked to the track for an evening of glamour,including the Harbour City’s most eligible bachelors - celebrity trainer Jono Castano and luggage mogulAidan Walsh,who were in town for the F1 ahead of their trip to Californian music festival Coachella.

Paul Stoddart,Australian airline magnate and former owner of the Minardi Formula One racing team,didn’t let a wardrobe malfunction ruin his evening arriving in casual attire alongside his glamorous wifeBel.

Network Ten stretched their styling budget dressing their roving reporter Natalie Hunter in a rhinestone Prada minidress,ensuring she stood out among the celebrities she was interviewing. Star-studded attendees who had pulled out all the stops in the style stakes were AFL legend Nathan Buckley’s former girlfriendAlex Pike in a jaw-dropping floor-length gown,whileI’m A Celebrity … Get Me Out Of Here star Maria Thattil dressed for attention in a sheer,black jewelled dress that revealed her underwear and visible suspenders.

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