Christopher Esber awarded Designer of the Year at The Australian Fashion Laureate
The honours keep on coming for the winner of the country’s most prestigious fashion award.
Christopher Esber has had a big year.
The Australian fashion designer made his Paris debut earlier this month, showing on schedule during Paris Fashion Week, an honour only afforded to a handful of Australian designers. On Thursday he scooped Designer of the Year at this year’s Australian Fashion Laureate.
“I was definitely all in,” Esber tells The Australian from Europe.
“In Paris, our pre-production space kind of became like a fortress for the collection and show, we were hyper focused and disciplined. That underground and enclosed feeling also personified the spring/summer 2024 [show]. While the lead up was consuming and a whirlwind, I am proud of what we achieved,” he says.
“You look back and have these big dreams that are being actualised, I’m enjoying this moment and riding the wave.”
The Australian Fashion Laureate, held annually, was established by IMG and the New South Wales government in 2008. It honours the best in Australian fashion across categories that include emerging designer of the year-a category that Esber won in 2014- sustainable designer of the year and the Australian Fashion Laureate for Lifetime Achievement.
For Esber, winning Designer of the Year is an honour. The timing, he says, is serendipitous.
“It was surprising because the past few weeks I’ve been immersed in the show and designing new collections. I’m really so honoured to have been nominated and to have been acknowledged by the Laureate in this way as Designer of the Year,” he says.
“It’s meaningful when it’s your home country and the timing of it all is symbolic.”
Emerging Designer of the Year recipient Alex Higgins reflected the optimism of this year’s awards in his acceptance speech, telling the crowd: “Fashion is magic.”
Kit Willow’s thoughtful approach to fashion was acknowledged, with the KITX founder receiving the Sustainable Designer of the Year award.
The former TAFE graduate first showed at Australian fashion week in 2010.
Esber says the Fashion Laureate is salient to the Australian fashion industry because it recognises talent and hard work.
“It’s important for our industry,” he says.
Natalie Xenita, vice president-managing director of IMG Fashion Events and Properties, Asia-Pacific says The Australian Fashion Laureate champions the best in Australian fashion.
“This year’s winners showcase the diversity of skilled creatives and professionals who have contributed to
Australian fashion’s cultural and economic impact,” she says.
Christopher Esber says there are big plans for what’s next for his brand.
“Showing consecutively in Paris is an important step for the brand now, after our debut. We’re looking at different categories and at how we can build up the world around the brand, the universe around the Esber woman,” he says.
“It’s an exciting time.”
Other winners of this year’s Australian Fashion Laureate, this year held at Sydney’s Bennelong Restaurant, were Indigenous Designer of the Year, Denni Francisco, Ngali; Carla Zampatti Award for Excellence in Leadership, Lisa Havilah and Australian Fashion Laureate for Lifetime Achievement, Rodney Levis, chairman of Cue clothing.
