Christopher Esber scoops major fashion prize

The Australian fashion designer continues to evolve his global brand.

Christopher Esber with models wearing his designs in Paris as part of the ANDAM prize panel. Picture: Nathan Yamniak

Australian fashion designer Christopher Esber has won the Grand Prize in the 2024 ANDAM Fashion Award.

He is the first Australian to win the prize, which includes a €300,000 cash award and a mentorship from jury president and Saint Laurent creative director Anthony Vaccarello.

For Esber, speaking from Paris where he presented four looks from his spring/summer collection to a jury that included actor and musician Charlotte Gainsbourg, model and singer Carla Bruni, Kering founder and chairman Francois-Henri Pinault, chairman and chief executive LVMH fashion group Sidney Toledano and fellow Australian Rose, of the superstar pop group Blackpink, it was acknowledgment that his brand is now a global one.

“As a team we have worked really hard to elevate and propel the brand within a global context. Winning the ANDAM Prize means seeing this recognised. It’s such an esteemed award with a long list of amazing alumni who have come before me,” he says.

Christopher Esber with models wearing his designs in Paris as part of the ANDAM prize panel. Picture: Nathan Yamniak

The prize ceremony was hosted by the French Minister of Culture, Rachida Dati. The prize was founded in 1989 by Nathalie Dufour, a joint venture between the French Ministry of Culture and the Defi Mode fashion organisation to support young French and international designers.

As per the prize guidelines, as part of winning the ANDAM Grand Prix prize, Christopher Esber will establish a French company during the same year as the receipt of the fellowship. However the business and team will remain based in Australia.

The prize comes less than a year after Esber made his debut on the official schedule of Paris Fashion Week and won the Designer of the Year at the Australian Fashion Laureate.

He will show his new collection in the City of Lights again this September.

The experience of presenting his collection to the panel, including Anthony Vaccarello – a designer Esber has long admired – was a lesson in knowing your elevator pitch

“It was an interesting process having to edit your body of work into two rails and really pinpoint what the brand represents within four looks which we showed to the judges on the day. It was a great exercise in maybe even reaffirming things you already knew about yourself or the brand, but it was definitely a lesson in how to edit and present your brand in a short succinct manner,” he says.

The mentorship is something he is particularly looking forward to.

“The mentorship is extremely valuable. I’ve always been a big admirer of Anthony’s work. He has a very clear … vision and having a mentorship with Anthony; someone who has built his career here in Paris at Saint Laurent – there’s synergy there, as we continue to show on the Paris calendar. And with all the knowledge he has, I’m really looking forward to hearing his insights,” he says.

The prize comes in a challenging time for independent designers. Esber, who last year celebrated the tenth anniversary in the fashion business, is committed to building his brand on a global scale.

“The amount of esteemed people that were in that room was quite remarkable. From all areas of the industry. Being in front of these incredible business people and creatives, and being able to introduce and speak about my brand and what myself and the team have built over the past decade was an invaluable opportunity,” he says. “If they didn’t before, they now know the brand, and will no doubt be able to support further business growth from here.”

Past winners of the prize include Anthony Vacarello, who won in 2011, Dutch couturiers Viktor & Rolf, Jeremy Scott and Martin Margiela (the inaugural winner).

 Finalists this year included Meryll Rogge and Charles Jeffrey Loverboy.

Esber is excited about what the prize might mean when it comes to continuing to extend his brand. In recent months he says newer category launches such as footwear have experienced a 300 per cent growth. Superstars such as Zendaya are often snapped in his designs.

“We’re planning to return to Paris in September to show on the calendar once again. And who knows what else is to come as a result of the ANDAM Award – it’s very exciting,” he says