Capping off a fashion marathon of men’s shows, haute couture, and high jewelry presentations, the ANDAM Award cocktail ushered in summer on a raft of champagne and rosé. If the jury president, Anthony Vaccarello, his star guest juror Catherine Deneuve, and others slipped out early, the French minister of culture Rachida Dati, gamely lingered on. Having earlier pronounced Paris fashion as entering a new golden era, in France and around the world” Dati chatted easily with ANDAM founder Nathalie Dufour, its president, Guillaume Houzé, and the night’s big winners.
Eva Chen, director of fashion partnerships at Instagram and mentor to all three accessories finalists, praised the diversity of this year’s crop. “They all have different styles and such an original point of view which made it harder, like comparing apples to oranges to cantaloupes to pineapples,” she laughed. If there was a throughline to be found, she added, it was about embracing change.
“Every designer had an angle, whether it’s sustainability or upcycling or completely creating their own style, so that sense of originality was really present. With Christopher [Esber], you can see how keeping at it can really pay off despite a relentless fashion cycle. His work shows an ability to look at the long game in fashion, and that’s an important message for the new generation.”
As the playlist cranked up, Esber was still taking a moment to process it all. “It’s still not even real in my mind,” he said, his emotion compounded by residual jetlag. Now that he’ll be setting up a Paris office, the Sydney-based designer added that he was excited to spend more time in the French capital and gain access to its specialized ateliers.
Having won over the ANDAM Award judges with a very personal backstory of love, loss, and family, Emeric Tchatchoua, the founder of the menswear brand 3.Paradis, was similarly moved. “Fashion for me is therapy. It helps me to heal my pain, so it’s an honor for me to spread a message of hope and happiness and freedom,” said the winner of the Special Prize, still cradling his trophy.