Within a year of launching his men's clothing line, Christian Kimber has been crowned Australian's best new designer.
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The Melbourne-based designer behind the eponymous label beat five other finalists to claim the National Designer Award on Friday.
British-born and raised, Kimber moved to Melbourne with his Australian wife in 2011 and began designing men's footwear and accessories.
In 2018 he introduced clothing to his label with the goal of "redefining" Australian menswear.
"Australian men, in my experience, don't just wear board shorts and singlets, but it's not really formal suits and ties either," Kimber told AAP.
"I consider our label to fill in the grey area in between - not too formal, not too casual."
Kimber's prizes include $10,000 cash, business mentoring and a spot in a Melbourne Fashion Festival runway show presented by the competition's main sponsor David Jones.
He hopes the award will help drive the brand's expansion in Australia and overseas.
"For the Australian fashion industry to say 'that's amazing Christian we love what you're doing', it's made me feel more confident about myself and our business to grow," Kimber said.
"I'd like to start wholesale again and I would love to meet some American and European buyers as well. Maybe David Jones might be interested in us now too," he said.
David Jones head of menswear Chris Wilson said this year's competition included the most menswear designers in the award's history, reflecting the growth of the menswear category.
"Men are becoming more fashion conscious and experimenting with expressing their personal style so there is a constant demand for new and unique brands," he said.
"Christian Kimber has established a foundation of high-quality, easy-to-wear, enduring pieces complemented by bolder statement pieces - the perfect mix for the modern gentleman's wardrobe."
The other finalists for the award were BLAIRARCHIBALD, Chris Ran Lin, Double Rainbouu and MNDATORY.
The only women's label in the competition - Arnsdorf - won the inaugural sustainability prize.
* The National Designer Award kicked off the Melbourne Fashion Festival, which runs until March 10.
Australian Associated Press
