It’s officially award season. The latest edition? The Australian Fashion Laureate. Since 2008 IMG and the New South Wales Government have honoured the outstanding achievements of Australian fashion leaders and innovators, celebrated our exceptional talent and highlighted worthy innovations and conversations shaping the industry and it’s future.
This year is no different. With categories including, Designer of the Year, Emerging Designer of the Year and Sustainable Innovation of the Year, winning these awards are a distinguished honour bestowed to only a few.
Notable additions to the lineup include Indigenous Designer of the Year, to celebrate our country’s incredible First Nations designers, and the Carla Zampatti Award for Excellence in Leadership which will recognise leaders who have made outstanding contributions to advancing the position of women in the Australian fashion industry.
The pinnacle honour is the Australian Fashion Laureate Lifetime Achievement Award, with the winner announced at an intimate ceremony in Sydney on November 30. With recipients chosen by Australian Fashion Industry Alumni and a panel of industry leaders across media, communications professionals, creatives and designers, these nominees are ones to be watched.
Speaking on the awards, Natalie Xenita, Vice President-Managing Director of IMG’s fashion events and properties Asia-Pacific comments “the Australian Fashion Laureate celebrates the ingenuity of Australian fashion’s top designers and creators, this year’s nominees reflect the creative excellence and diverse voices shaping our industry and its future.”
Without further ado, here are the 2021 finalists of the Australian Fashion Laureate—congratulations to all candidates!
Designer of the Year
- Anna Plunket and Luke Sales, Romance Was Born
- Christopher Esber
- Edwina Forest and Adrian Norris, Aje
- Sophie Holt, Oroton
Emerging Designer of the Year, presented by Shopify Plus
- Jordan Dalah
- Jordan Gogos
- Julie Shaw, MAARA Collective
- Richard Jarman, COMMAS
Sustainable Innovation of the Year, presented by GlamCorner
- Emma Jarman and Richard Jarman, COMMAS
- James Bartle, Outland Denim
- Kit Willow, KITX
- Deborah Sams and Mary Lou Ryan, bassike
Indigenous Designer of the Year
- Denni Francisco, Ngali
- Grace Lillian Lee
- Julie Shaw, MAARA Collective
- Lillardia Briggs-Houston, Ngarru Miimi
