Four designers have been selected to show at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Australia (MBFWA) through the St. George NextGen programme.
The programme has helped discover and launch the careers of Camilla & Marc, Kate Sylvester, Gorman, sass and bide and Akira at MBFWA since 1996.
The St. George NextGen programme supports and mentors emerging Australian fashion designers.
Selected by a panel of established industry experts, the following designers have been chosen as 2019 winners and will participate in the St. George NextGen show at MBFWA 2019:
BENJAMIN GARG, VIC
Benjamin Garg’s eponymous brand offers a unique approach to colour, layering and silhouette, paying homage to the traditional artistic expressions found in his hometown of Punjab, India. Garg studied at RMIT in Melbourne.
CHLOE MOTTAU, NSW
Chloe Mottau has explored tension and harmonies through her latest collection, using hand-woven textiles and fabrics. Mottau hails from Sydney and studied at the University of Technology.
MADISON HISLOP, NSW
Madison Hislop considers herself a storyteller as much as a designer. With an ethos of ‘quality before quantity’, her brand uses knitwear and soft suiting to create a uniform that celebrates the character of women who are as sensitive as they are strong. Hislop likewise hails from Sydney and studied at the University of Technology.
BRIAN HUYNH, VIC
MNDATORY is an independent Australian brand based in Melbourne. Using principles of architecture, Brian Huynh’s brand sheds an innovative light on the classic silhouettes of men’s outerwear. Huynh studied at White House Institute of Design and hails from Melbourne.
The 2019 judges included David Jones GM Bridget Veals, Parlour X director Eva Galambos and former Vogue Australia editor-in-chief Nancy Pilcher.
Chosen designers gain industry networking opportunities, exposure to MBFWA’s attending buyers, as well as marketing, publicity, and digital media support.