ALEMAIS Announced As Winner Of The Paypal Melbourne Fashion Festival’s 26™ National Designer Award Presented by David Jones
PayPal Melbourne Fashion Festival today announced ALEMAIS as the winner of the prestigious National Designer Award presented by David Jones, taking home a record high prize of $120,000. The designer also took out the inaugural People’s Choice Award presented by David Jones with Melbourne-based designer Joslin being awarded the Honorable Mention for Sustainability.
Now in its 26th year, the PayPal Melbourne Fashion Festival’s coveted National Designer Award presented by
David Jones is Australia’s most established fashion awards program. The award celebrates the future of
Australian fashion by acknowledging designers in their formative years of business and providing finalists with
opportunities for mentorship, networking and critical industry exposure.
To win the National Designer Award marks a turning point in a designer’s career with past winners such as
COMMAS (2021), 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.
The six outstanding finalists for 2022, selected by a panel of industry heavyweights included ALEMAIS, Beare
Park, BLANCA, CLEA, E Nolan and Joslin.
Yolanda Finch, PayPal Melbourne Fashion Festival Acting CEO, said: “The National Designer Award is a career
defining opportunity that has helped provide a boost to some of Australia’s top designers in their journey to
incredible success. It’s truly a privilege to meet these talented designers so early on in their development.
“The creativity, the exceptional standards, and the clear direction each designer has for their business is
inspiring. Whilst all this year’s finalists impressed the judges, ALEMAIS stood out for its commercial acumen and
potential for growth. The label encapsulates values the conscious consumer seeks with an aesthetic that is
creative and feminine, and both aspirational and attainable,” Finch said.
Now presenting the National Designer Award for the sixth consecutive year, David Jones is committed to
providing a platform for emerging designer talent.
Bridget Veals, David Jones General Manager of Womenswear, Footwear and Accessories, said: “David Jones is
proud to support initiatives that contribute to the growth and development of the Australian fashion industry.
We are thrilled to award ALEMAIS as the winner of the National Designer Award. The label has established a
unique aesthetic with a clear direction and has been ranged and performing incredibly well in David Jones since
joining our designer portfolio in 2021 with their inaugural collection.”
ALEMAIS Founder, Lesleigh Jermanus, will receive a significant business development prize pack designed to
assist the label’s ongoing development and growth including a cash prize, marketing support and editorial
opportunities.
ALEMAIS also took home the inaugural People’s Choice Award presented by David Jones, a new addition to the
program that saw the public have the opportunity to vote for a selected finalist. This new category encouraged
fashion lovers to recognise Australia’s vibrant fashion talent by voting for their favourite emerging designer.
David Jones also continues its focus on sustainability and for the fourth year, together with the Festival, granted
the Honourable Mention of Sustainability. As the recipient of this year’s award, Joslin will receive a $10,000 cash
prize as well as the opportunity to undertake a bespoke mentorship program led by David Jones in consideration of their sustainability and broader business goals.
Eloise Bishop, Head of Sustainability at David Jones, said “It is evident that sustainability is at the forefront of
mind for our future generations of designers. It was an honour to see and hear how all six finalists have built
sustainability into their business models and designs from its foundations. Joslin was a standout as having taken additional steps towards embedding sustainability into its operations, with social, environmental, and ethical issues at heart. Joslin respect traditional craft and techniques and makes the best decisions on how we treat people and the planet.”
