Clearly these accolades mean Dion Lee provided the other five Australian finalists — Kym Ellery, Christopher Esber, Magdalena Velevska, Carl Kapp and Song for the Mute — with competition stiffer than a lapel fused with three layers of interfacing. Dion Lee is a brand that doesn’t just have design chops but has a huge international potential. On why they selected the designer, Vogue Australia editor-in-chief Edwina McCann said, “The judges had to consider who was best placed in terms of the development of their business and creative skills to represent Australia in the final round of competition in London in February 2013.”
It’s great that Australia has such a marketable export, but it also means that less internationally successful young talents such as Christopher Esber, who McCann praised for his innovation and astonishing creativity, probably never stood a real chance.
In February, Lee will go up against Sophie Theallet (US), Christian Wijnats (Europe), Ban Xiao Xue (China), and a yet-to-be-announced designer from India, competing for a $100,000 prize and the opportunity to have his brand stocked in some of the world’s top department stores.
Image via Vogue.com.au
