Australian Christopher Esber is the winner of the ANDAM Fashion Award 2024

PARIS — Christopher Esber is the main prize winner of the ANDAM Fashion Award 2024, which also marks the 35th anniversary edition of the award.

Sydney-based Esber has won fans like Zendaya and Dua Lipa with his minimalist summer styles.

Not only is Esber supervised by the jury president and creative director of Saint Laurent, Anthony Vaccarello, but less than a year after his debut at Paris Fashion Week, he also takes home the main prize and prize money of 300,000 euros.

He beat fellow finalists Meryll Rogge, Marie Adam-Leenaerdt, Ruohan and Charles Jeffrey Loverboy.

The second special prize and prize money of 100,000 euros goes to 3.Paradis, the 10-year-old label founded in Canada by French designer Emeric Tchatchoua.

Its gender-neutral line, known for its signature dove motif symbolizing peace and unity, has been worn by the likes of Billie Eilish and Justin Bieber. Its first fashion show took place in Paris in 2023 and recently its Spring 2025 collection was presented during Men’s Week.

Candidates for the ANDAM Grand Prize can be of any nationality but must own a French company or set one up in the same year they receive the scholarship.

The Pierre Bergé Prize went to Paris-based clothing brand Pièce Uniques, founded by Edmond Luu, beating competitors Boyarovskaya, designed by designer Maria Boyarovskaya and fashion photographer Artem Kononenko, and Vaillant, designed by Alice Vaillant.

The Accessories Award went to Maeden, an Amsterdam-based leather goods brand under the creative direction of Christian Heikoop, while Alternative Innovation took home the Innovation Award.

Blackpink’s Rosé, who was part of the 13-member guest jury selected by Vaccarello, said she was honored to “witness the rise of another groundbreaking group of talent this year.”

“As a fellow creative, I am thrilled to hear the stories and see the innovative visions,” she told WWD. “I look forward to the remarkable contributions these designers will make to the fashion industry.”

Previous winners include Vaccarello, who took home the top prize in 2011, Viktor & Rolf, Christophe Lemaire, Jeremy Scott and Marine Serre. French designer Louis-Gabriel Nouchi took home the award last year.

Other guest judges included model and singer Carla Bruni, actress and musician Charlotte Gainsbourg, models Anja Rubik and Alek Wek, former Saint Laurent campaign faces Béatrice Dalle and Rossy de Palma, director Gaspar Noé, actor Niels Schneider, actress Virginie Efira, author Virginie Despentes and stylist Emmanuelle Alt.

The group was rounded off by journalist Augustin Trapenard, who hosts the podcast “Saint Laurent’s Talks”.

Founded in 1989 by Nathalie Dufour with the support of the French Ministry of Culture and DEFI, an organization promoting the development of the French fashion industry, and under the direction of the late Pierre Bergé, ANDAM was a springboard for designers who later achieved international recognition.

ANDAM – the French acronym for National Association of the Development of the Fashion Arts – is supported by major corporate sponsors, which now include Balenciaga, Bureau Betak, Chanel, Chloé, Fondation Pierre Bergé-Yves Saint Laurent, Galeries Lafayette, Google, Hermès, Kering, Lacoste, Longchamp, LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, L’Oréal Paris, Meta, Mytheresa, OTB, Premiere Classe, Saint Laurent, Swarovski and Tomorrow.

The French Ministry of Culture and DEFI, an organization that promotes the development of the French fashion industry, are also important historical public partners of ANDAM.