Melbourne Fashion Festival has announced that Sydney-based swim and resort wear label Commas has taken out both the National Designer Award and the Honourable Mention for Sustainability.
Commas is the first label to win both honours since the awards' inception.
The prestigious National Designer Award, presented by David Jones, is in its 25th year and forms part of the Festival's Industry Development Program.
Melbourne Fashion Festival CEO Graeme Lewsey said that the organisation was thrilled to explore the developing talent in Australia's fashion industry.
"The National Designer Award is a career defining opportunity that has helped lead some of Australia’s top designers to incredible success.
"It’s truly an honour to meet these talented designers so early on in their development. Every year the talent that we are presented with blows me away.
"The creativity, the exceptional standards and the clear direction each designer has for their business is inspiring.
"This year was of course no exception, and after the difficult year we were presented with, each designer’s tenacity really shone through.
"We love Commas’ clean and classic silhouettes that are paired with original artworks, creating a modern, masculine sensibility with additional detail and all designed, delivered and marketed with a consciousness of the environment fashion exists right now," he said.
Commas took out the awards among five other finalists from across the country: E Nolan (VIC), LeoPhil (NSW), Holiday the Label (NSW), MAARA Collective (NSW) and Autark (SA).
As part of their win, Commas founders Richard and Emma Jarman will receive a significant business development package which includes a $10,000 cash prize, a window takeover at David Jones' Bourke St Mall, presence on the Gala Runway and ranging across David Jones stores.
The duo will also have the opportunity to complete a mentorship program led by David Jones in consideration of their sustainability and broader business goals.
"It is evident that sustainability is at the forefront of mind for our future generations of designers," David Jones head of sustainability Eloise Bishop said.
"Commas was a standout as having taken additional steps towards embedding sustainability into its operations, with a focus on textile innovation and circularity, reducing their impact on climate change, and working with an Ethical Clothing Australia factory to make their clothes, and we are thrilled to honour their achievements with the Honourable Mention of Sustainability," she said.
Previous winners of the National Designer Award include Esse, P.E Nation, Macgraw, Dion Lee, Romance Was Born and Toni Maticevski.
The judging panel consisted of Australian fashion industry leaders including:
- Graeme Lewsey, Melbourne Fashion Festival CEO
- Jillian Davison, creative director of Vogue Australia
- Bridget Veals, GM of womenswear at David Jones
- Chris Wilson, GM menswear, childrenswear, home and AV
- Emily Taylor, editor of Melbourne Fashion Festival’s Shop The Runway magazine
- Gary Theodore of Scanlan Theodore.
- Eloise Bishop, head of sustainability at David Jones - advisor for the Honourable Mention for Sustainability