The Future of Australian Fashion Starts Here - Melbourne ...

For Immediate Release

            The Future of Australian Fashion Starts Here
         Six Finalists Announced for the 2021 Melbourne Fashion Festival
                National Designer Award Presented by David Jones

Wednesday 10 February 2021: The Melbourne Fashion Festival (MFF), Australia’s longest running,
and most significant consumer fashion event taking place from 11-20 March 2021, is honoured to
showcase and celebrate Australia’s most talented emerging fashion designers through its annual
National Designer Award, presented by David Jones.

The 2021 finalists selected by a panel of industry heavyweights are: E Nolan, LeoPhil, Holiday the
Label, MAARA Collective, Autark, Commas.

Now in its 25th year, the highly acclaimed National Designer Award, presented by David Jones is a
collaboration between the retailer and Festival to deliver Australia’s most established and prestigious
award. Initiated by the sole purpose of supporting the future of fashion, the award forms part of the
Festival’s Industry Development program which also includes the National Graduate Showcase,
Fashion Film Award and Fashion Writing Award.

The National Designer Award, presented by David Jones celebrates the future of Australian fashion by
acknowledging designers in their formative years of business and provides finalists with opportunities
for mentorship, networking and critical industry exposure. It has propelled the development of some of
Australia’s most-loved designers including ESSE (2020), Christian Kimber (2019), P.E Nation (2018),
Macgraw (2016), STRATEAS.CARLUCCI (2014), Dion Lee (2010), Romance Was Born (2009), Yeojin
Bae (2007) and Toni Maticevski (2002), to name a few.

On Thursday 25 February, 2021 at an exclusive industry event, one of the six finalists will be awarded
the 2021 National Designer Award, presented by David Jones and the Honorable Mention for
Sustainability, recognising an Award Finalist who best demonstrates a commitment to sustainable and
ethical practices.

The National Designer Award winner will receive a significant business development prize pack
designed to assist the label’s ongoing development and growth including a cash prize of $10,000,
marketing support and editorial showcase opportunities and will feature their designs alongside the best
of Australian and international designers at the all-new Gala Runway presented by David Jones on
Thursday 11 March 2021 at the National Gallery of Victoria. For the first time, the 2021 winner will also
have the opportunity to takeover a highly coveted window at the iconic David Jones Bourke Street Mall
for two weeks from Thursday 25 February. The winner of the Honorable Mention for Sustainability will
also be awarded an in-store exhibition at the same store.

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To further support the designer’s journey, the David Jones merchandise team will again collaborate
with the winner to range their collection across David Jones stores, a highly valuable initiative launched
in 2020.

Together with the Festival, David Jones continues its focus on sustainability and will award its
Honourable Mention for Sustainability to a finalist that demonstrates a strong commitment to
environmental and social sustainability practices. That designer will have the opportunity to complete a
mentorship program led by David Jones in consideration of their sustainability and broader business
goals.

The judging panel comprises of Australian fashion industry leaders including: Graeme Lewsey,
Melbourne Fashion Festival CEO; Jillian Davison, Creative Director of Vogue Australia; Bridget Veals,
Head of Womenswear at David Jones; Chris Wilson, General Manager Menswear, Childrenswear,
Home & AV; Emily Taylor, Editor of Melbourne Fashion Festival Shop the Runway® magazine and
Gary Theodore of Scanlan Theodore. Alongside the judges, Eloise Bishop, Head of Sustainability at
David Jones, is the Advisor for the Honourable Mention for Sustainability.

Graeme Lewsey believes that the National Designer Award, presented by David Jones remains one of
the most established, credible and significant initiatives to directly support emerging Australian
designers.

“The Festival continues to foster the work of new and emerging local creative talent via its Industry
Development Programs, providing viable career pathways and unprecedented industry access for the
creation of a sustainable Australian fashion industry. At the moment, this support has never been more
important.

“The National Designer Award, which has been instrumental in defining the careers of some of
Australia’s leading designers, provides real-world experience to emerging talent, calling upon industry
leaders to lend their talents and time to assess, mentor, guide, support and promote,” Mr Lewsey said.

Now presenting the National Designer Award for the fifth consecutive year, David Jones is committed
to providing a platform for emerging designer talent. Bridget Veals, Head of Womenswear at David
Jones, said it’s an honour to support and mentor the incredibly passionate designers in the early stages
of developing their brand.

“David Jones is proud to support initiatives that contribute to the growth and development of the
Australian fashion industry. The development of a capsule collection with the winning designer ranged
across David Jones, introduced in 2020, proved to be a great success, making the National Designer
Award, not only one of the most reputable, but also the most commercially sound, fashion accolades in
Australia.”

The Festival will take place from 11 – 20 March 2021 delivering a reimagined and creatively charged
program of fashion, arts and ideas events, accessible in person and online, for everyone to enjoy

2021 NATIONAL DESIGNER AWARD, PRESENTED BY DAVID JONES FINALISTS

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E Nolan, VIC
Melbourne-born womenswear label E Nolan has rapidly built a loyal following by offering a new standard
for women’s tailoring in Australia. Named one of Vogue Australia’s Future Sixty in December 2019, E
Nolan brings together classic, Saville Row tailoring methods with a tongue-in-cheek approach to
sartorial self-expression.

By challenging the notion of what a traditional tailoring house can be, E Nolan is part of a new wave of
thinking in Australian fashion that champions stronger connection to our apparel through timeless,
quality garments that are made to last.

Each Made to Measure suit is crafted from the label’s exclusive in-house patterns, which form the base
range of jackets and trousers on offer. While pieces can be purchased separately, E Nolan highlights
the versatility and ease of a suit that can be seamlessly adapted to a client’s pre-existing wardrobe. A
selection of over 600+ cloths of different natural fibres and colours are available from the world’s best
mills and cloth merchants.

The classic cut, ageless design and lightweight infrastructure are designed to fit into the lives of all
different types of women, of all ages, who are looking for a suit, jacket, or pair of trousers that are
beautifully made, durable and easy to migrate between dress codes and the schedules of modern life.
An E Nolan two-piece suit costs between $1400 - $2500 depending on fabric choice and custom
finishes.

LeoPhil, NSW
LEOPHIL is a premium knitwear and accessory design label based in Sydney Australia and founded by
Valerie Jantz.

The designs are an expression of the passion for beautiful and well-made clothes and the love for
natural fibres. Explorative, thoughtful and always with a keen eye for details - LEOPHIL joins a modern
aesthetic with playful elements and a laid-back, effortless feel.

Street style elements are mixed with a feminine elegance and colour plays an important role in capturing
the essence of an inspiration or mood in each collection. LEOPHIL likes subtle changes and shifts to
classic designs with an understated coolness. Every design and choice of raw material is based on a
deep understanding of the importance of touch and feel of a product and its longevity.

Designed with love and wisdom for people with a sophisticated approach to fashion.

Holiday the Label, NSW
Holiday is a label that’s all about extending your summer vacation glow. Dreamt up by Sydney-based
designer Emma Mulholland, it has captured the drifting, restless travellers’ heart with 80s and 90s
souvenir-inspired looks designed to stir up a life’s worth of vacation nostalgia.

Holiday is the second major fashion project for Mulholland, who kicked off her career with an
eponymous label back in 2013. Keen for a change of pace in the fashion world, she started Holiday in

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2017 and the label’s laidback but fun slogan tees, hoodies, hats, scrunchies, patterned pants and cute
accessories are coveted and collected the world over.

MAARA Collective, NSW
MAARA Collective is an Australian luxury resortwear brand embracing a collaborative approach to
design.

We work closely with Indigenous artists and creatives, drawing inspiration from Country to present
within the context of contemporary fashion.

The brand's name "MAARA Collective" acknowledges and honours the ‘many hands’ involved in the
creative and collaborative processes, where the word 'MAARA' refers to ‘hands’ in the Yuwaalaraay
and Gamilaraay language groups.

With every product purchased we give back proceeds to support digital training and education in remote
Aboriginal communities. This is done through our ongoing relationship with the Buy1 Give1 program.

Launched in 2019, Yuwaalaraay Creative Director Julie Shaw founded the brand to showcase and
celebrate Indigenous art and fashion. Since launching, the brand has gone on to win both the ‘Fashion
Design’ and ‘Community Collaboration’ awards at the inaugural National Indigenous Fashion Awards,
and is a finalist in this year's Australian Fashion Laureate for Best Emerging Australian Designer. Shaw
also featured in Ragtrader Magazine’s Power 30 List for 2020, ranked as one of the most influential
people in Australian fashion.

Autark, SA
Launched in 2016, autark was founded as a response to both the needs of the modern woman and the
wide-ranging impact of the fashion industry on the world.

Autark designs are striking, investment pieces created from the most luxurious of silks, cottons, linens
and an array of natural fibers, that are carefully considered in their construction for maximum wearability
and versatility.

Autark designs are reflective not only in their function, juxtaposition of fabrics and minute detail but in
the way they are constructed, all locally in Sophia's home of Adelaide, Australia.

Production is monitored to ensure that wastage is minimised through the limited and attentive
production of pieces, and that all autark garments are created ethically and fairly.

Innovative and bold yet feminine designs are the hallmark of autark pieces, created in mind for a woman
who is strong, individual, and knows her own mind.

Commas, NSW
COMMAS is a swim & resortwear label based in Sydney, Australia. The name represents a purposeful
pause, a reminder to catch your breath, to recalibrate, and take pleasure in the moment.

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Crafted with the highest-quality fabrics sourced from Europe and Japan, each collection is designed as
a complete resort wardrobe made to transcend the water and enter the everyday.

Clean and classic silhouettes are paired with original artworks, creating a modern, masculine sensibility.
Each collection’s cornerstone includes recycled polyamide tie-front swim shorts, lightweight camp collar
shirting, loose linen lounge pants, and the much-coveted Italian linen robes.

Prints are created in-house inspired by moments and places discovered during holidays. Each artwork
is original, hand painted or sketched, and printed onto luxurious fabrics. Linens and textured fabrics are
sourced from some of the oldest mills in the world, woven using traditional techniques from completely
natural fibres.

COMMAS was selected as the first ever swimwear brand to represent Australia at Pitti Uomo in 2017
and was recently named the #1 swimwear brand of choice for 2020 by Vogue Hommes.

See the winner of the 2021 National Designer Award in the Gala Runway, presented by David Jones
on Thursday 11 March 7pm and 8.30pm.

The health and safety of our community is our paramount priority. To see how we're planning
for a COVIDSafe event for all to enjoy, please see mff.com.au/stayingsafe

                                                -ends-

AMPR
Nicole D’Amico
E | nicole@ampr.com.au P | 0431 169 669

AMPR
Raina Naidu
E | raina@ampr.com.au P | 0420 352 058

Find MFF at:
Website: mff.com.au
Instagram: @melbfashionfestival | Facebook: @melbournefashionfestival
LinkedIn: @melbournefashionfestival | Twitter: @melbfashionfestival

Images of the National Designer Award, Presented by David Jones finalists can be found here

 Melbourne Fashion Festival LTD. Level 2, Mitchell House Annexe, 358 Lonsdale St, Melbourne 3000 AU
                          @melbfashionfestival #melbfashionfestival #vamff