IMG has announced the finalists of the 2021 Australian Fashion Laureate, singling out the designers and leaders across Australia’s fashion space.
Finalists are chosen by a panel of industry leaders known as Australian Fashion Industry Alumni, which is made up of media, buyers, communications professionals, as well as creatives and fellow designers.
“The Australian Fashion Laureate celebrates the ingenuity of Australian fashion’s top designers and creators,” said IMG’s fashion events and properties vice president and managing director Natalie Xenita.
“This year’s nominees reflect the creative excellence and diverse voices shaping our industry and its future.”
This year includes new categories – Indigenous Designer of the Year and the Carla Zampatti Award for Excellence in Leadership – aimed at celebrating First Nations designers and those who have made efforts advancing the position of women in the industry.
The awards categories, and finalists, can be found below:
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 Miim
