The 36-year-old Sydney-born womenswear designer Christopher Esber, who is renowned for his exquisite fusion of structure and sensuality, has been named the 2024 winner of the prestigious ANDAM Fashion Award, the top honor given out nightly at the Andam Fashion Awards in Paris.
This award, which is regarded as one of the greatest in the fashion industry, is given in recognition of Esber’s constant dedication to creativity and his ability to reinvent modern elegance.
Hand-selected from a group of twelve forward-thinking contenders, Esber will receive a grant of €300,000 (AU$483,000) to advance his label in addition to an exclusive 12-month mentoring under the discerning eye of Anthony Vaccarello, chief judge and creative master of Saint Laurent.
Esber’s achievement of winning this coveted award solidifies his reputation as a trailblazer by placing him in the select group of previous winners. Despite the intense competition this year, which featured designers from all around the world showcasing their most innovative designs, Esber’s distinct vision won over the judges and brought him this prestigious award.
Wanda Nylon in 2016, Stéphane Ashpool of Pigalle in 2015, and Iris Van Herpen in 2014 are among the notable past recipe nts of this esteemed prize. Julien David in 2012, Ami Alexandre Mattiussi in 2013, and Anthony Vaccarello in 2011 are some other noteworthy winners. The ANDAM Fashion Award remains a gold standard for up-and-coming talent, offering winners substantial monetary compensation as well as priceless possibilities for mentorship.
Quiet by nature, Esber got interested in fashion from seeing his aunt sew at the family atelier. Following a year-long apprenticeship with a local tailor and studies at the Fashion Design Studio at TAFE NSW in Sydney, Esber pursued her career as a self-taught designer.
Esber established his fashion business in Sydney in 2010, advanced to the Woolmark Prize finals in 2013, and had his women’s ready-to-wear brand, Esber, make its debut on the Paris Fashion Week presentation schedule in September 2023.
Christopher Esber exalts a carefree elegance and seductive sensuality. It subverts conventional womenswear standards with parts of masculine tailoring by combining rigid forms with flowing clothing emphasized by cutouts. His designs have continuously pushed the limits of contemporary womenswear, a perfect combination of architectural forms and flowing draperies.
Esber’s most recent collection, which debuted in Paris, was a symphony of opposites, including simple, elegant forms contrasted with dexterous craftsmanship and surprising materials. Every item encouraged the wearer to embrace their uniqueness with elegance and confidence by sharing a narrative of empowerment. The collection was greeted with acclaim from both fashion reviewers and enthusiasts, who praised Esber’s unmatched innovation and craftsmanship.
Esber has consistently shown that he is a force to be reckoned with, from his early collections that influenced the Australian fashion scene to his present worldwide prominence.