The regular competitor, who has taken out the May Racing Carnival competition twice, often sources unique headpieces and clothing items at op shops and upcycles them into victorious creations.

Her family home at Koroit, where she designs and makes her masterpieces, is filled with vintage radios, records and CDs, collected from second-hand stores by her father.

"I think I got my love for op shops from him," Ms Coghlan-West said. "I go about once a week."

She said she often found headpieces which could easily be transformed and a single hat could be recreated several times over by adding or removing feathers or spraying it a different colour.

"It came from not having lots and lots of money while I was studying," she said.

"You can spend so much money on outfits, but if you find something at an op shop and you recreate it and it doesn't work, it's not the end of the world as you haven't spent too much money."

This year she has three outfits planned for each day of the May Racing Carnival.

She has designed her clothing and had the pieces made to measure by a tailor.

She has purchased a delicate mustard headpiece from fellow Warrnambool fashionista Leah Habel's popular Facebook racewear and millinery buy and sell group.

"It was pretty faded, but I've redone it with bows," she said.

"I'll also be using my op shop bag that I use all the time."

She said houndstooth, plaid and checks and mustard and red would be on trend this autumn, as well as big felt and leather headpieces.

"I think you will see pieces that sit off the back of the head like a lot of the royal family are wearing," she said.