EMERGING DESIGNER OF THE YEAR
PRESENTED BY SHOPIFY PLUS
JORDAN DALAH
Establishing his eponymous label in 2018, Central Saint Martins graduate Jordan Dalah has been globally embraced as a leader in the new guard of fashion. Inspired by historical codes of dressing, his collections aim to reimagine these references through a modern, stylistically-awkward lens.
Noting the Tudor period as a particular source of inspiration, Dalah’s mastery of volume and exaggerated silhouettes takes shape through reframing past tenets of the time. Dalah removes any accurate historical references from his collections by pairing costume-like garments with more mundane everyday pieces. To Dalah, it is the duality between both the costume and the everyday that inspires his collections.
Jordan Dalah made his debut at Afterpay Australian Fashion Week in 2021.
JORDAN GOGOS,
IORDANES SPYRIDON GOGOS
Iordanes Spyridon Gogos was founded by Parsons educated designer and multidisciplinary artist Jordan Gogos in 2019. As a conduit for community-making and co-design, Iordanes Spyridon Gogos’ seeks to explore notions of gender fluidity and sustainability with a contemporary, practice-led approach to fashion.
Gogos’ debut at Afterpay Australian Fashion Week was a result of his collaboration with 25 different artists and brands, including Albus Lumen and concept store Qurated. The collection was made up of what Gogos refers to as “wearables for the imaginative” and he worked closely with each artist to produce a piece over 8 weeks. Technicolour patchworked coats, corseted strapless dresses and silky suiting were particular highlights. All were made from using deadstock materials to encourage reuse of materials in order to reduce waste.
JULIE SHAW, MAARA COLLECTIVE
MAARA Collective is an Australian luxury Resortwear brand launched in 2019 by Yuwaalaraay Creative Director Julie Shaw, to showcase and celebrate Indigenous art and fashion. Since launching, MAARA Collective has gone on to win both the ‘Fashion Design’ and ‘Community Collaboration’ awards at the inaugural National Indigenous Fashion Awards.
MAARA Collective is a previous nominee in the 2020 Australian Fashion Laureate for Best Emerging Australian Designer. The brand was one of seven featured in the Indigenous Fashion Projects show at Afterpay Australian Fashion Week in 2021.
RICHARD JARMAN, COMMAS
Richard Jarman is the Designer and Creative Director behind COMMAS, a swim and Resortwear label founded and based in Sydney.
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.
COMMAS was selected as the first ever swimwear brand to represent Australia at Pitti Uomo in 2017, was recently named the #1 swimwear brand of choice for 2021 by Vogue Hommes and recently became the 2021 National Designer Of The Year alongside the Honourable Mention for Sustainability.
COMMAS made their Afterpay Australian Fashion Week debut in 2021.
