SYDNEY — Two-year-old Sydney brand Alemais has won Australia’s National Designer Award.
Announced at the Melbourne flagship of Australian department store David Jones on Wednesday, the brand, which is designed by Lesleigh Jermanus, has been awarded a record prize pool of 120,000 Australian dollars, or $83,376 at current exchange, which includes a 20,000 Australian dollar, or $13,896, cash prize, marketing support and editorial opportunities. The brand also took the inaugural People’s Choice Award, which is decided by public vote.
Now in its 26th year, the National Designer Award, one of Australia’s most prestigious fashion trophies — whose previous winners include Dion Lee, P.E. Nation and Toni Maticevski — has traditionally been revealed during the PayPal Melbourne Fashion Festival in March. A decision was made to delay the announcement this year to maximize publicity outside the festival’s programming, with just the finalists announced during the festival itself.
Jermanus, a former head designer at Zimmermann, founded Alemais in August 2020 against the backdrop of COVID-19, with a view to repurposing fabrics that had been abandoned due to order cancellations. Her bohemian print dresses and separates already sell through 170 retailers in 26 countries, including David Jones, Net-a-porter, Matchesfashion, Selfridges, Harvey Nichols and Moda Operandi.
Melbourne-based Joslin won the Honorable Mention for Sustainability, which came with a 10,000 Australian dollar, or $6,948, cash prize and the opportunity for a mentorship program with David Jones, which has been associated with the awards for the past six years.
“The National Designer Award is a career-defining opportunity that has helped provide a boost to some of Australia’s top designers in their journey to incredible success” said Yolanda Finch, PayPal Melbourne Fashion Festival acting chief executive officer. “Whilst all this year’s finalists impressed the judges, Alemais stood out for its commercial acumen and potential for growth.”
This year’s judging panel was comprised of David Jones’ general manager of menswear, childrenswear and home Chris Wilson and general manager of womenswear, footwear and accessories Bridget Veals, as well as its head of sustainability, Eloise Bishop; the former Melbourne Fashion Festival CEO Graeme Lewsey, and the editors in chief of, respectively, David Jones’ Jones magazine, and Harper’s Bazaar Australia, Philippa Moroney and Jillian Davison.
Source: WWD