PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD
Have your say! As part of the National Designer Award x David Jones, the People’s Choice Award empowers the public to vote for the finalist they believe represents the future of Australian fashion. The winner will be announced live on the runway on 24 February.
PRESENTED BY:
Scroll down to learn more about each of our 2026
finalists and cast your vote.
Voting closes 17 February 2026
BEARE PARK
GABRIELLA PEREIRA, CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Gabriella Pereira is the founder and Creative Director of Australian fashion label BEARE PARK, celebrated for its refined minimalism and timeless approach to modern dressing. Gabriella began her career in finance before transitioning into fashion, bringing a disciplined yet luxurious perspective to building a purpose-led brand. Gabriella’s work emphasises quality, longevity, and considered design, reflecting the realities of contemporary women’s lives. BEARE PARK has been stocked globally by leading retailers including Bergdorf Goodman, NET-A-PORTER, Moda Operandi and Harrods, and has recently opened its first permanent flagship store in Paddington, Sydney.
ERIK-YVON
ERIK YVON, CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Erik-Yvon is a bold, inclusive fashion house founded by designer Erik Yvon, whose work is rooted in his Mauritian heritage and lived queer experience.
Drawing from queer culture and the vibrant traditions of Mauritius, the brand is defined by expressive colour, rich texture, and cultural narratives. At the heart of Erik Yvon’s ethos is a belief in fashion for all. The brand uplifts diverse bodies, genders, ages, skin tones, and stories; subverting narrow beauty norms with bold prints, spirited detailing, and considered craftsmanship. The label strives
to create a platform for visibility, empowerment, and cultural pride, creating garments that celebrate individuality and reflect the diversity of real communities.
HALUMINOUS
HANNAH TERESA, DESIGNER
Hannah Teresa is a Korean-Australian designer and the founder and creative director of HALUMINOUS. She studied Fashion and Textiles at the University of Technology Sydney, where art and fantasy influenced her experimental pattern making, shaping distinctive silhouettes that balance the everyday with the imagined. Hannah defines her work as muted resort wear: travel-ready pieces in black and mineral tones drawn from Australian shadow, stone, and heat. Working primarily in jersey and natural, flexible, breathable fabrication, she designs “fluid armour” grounded in the belief that comfort is luxury. Created for independent, creative individuals, HALUMINOUS offers ease, protection, and presence.
JOAEN
GRACE KELLY, FOUNDER & DIRECTOR
Grace Kelly is the Founder and Director of JOAEN - an Australian womenswear label defined by structural clarity, emotional resonance and timeless design.
Her work is not about spectacle, but about continuity; hence, forming the foundation of the JOAEN Wardrobe. Grace designs clothing that lives with women and not just simply on them. Drawing on the intelligence of craft passed down through generations (her Grandmother and Mother) Grace translates tactile tradition into a modern wardrobe language that feels deeply considered and present. Her designs reflect a dialogue between matriarchal memory and contemporary silhouette; garments that are sculptural yet gentle, tailored yet homely. Grace is inspired by Scandinavian minimalism, but it’s the rhythm of her rural Australian heritage that shapes her practicality and intimacy of making.
JUSTIN TONG
JUSTIN TONG, FOUNDER & CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Born in Vietnam and raised in Australia, Justin Tong founded his namesake
label with a clear intent: to build a global fashion brand grounded in genuine sustainability, ethical production, and long-term impact. Drawing on his Vietnamese heritage, the brand is committed to honouring traditional craftsmanship while creating meaningful, fairly paid employment opportunities
in his mother country. With years of experience in business management, Tong brings commercial discipline to his creative vision, building a label rooted in quality, longevity, and purpose. Each collection reflects a belief that modern occasion wear can be beautifully made, responsibly produced, and globally relevant, without compromise.
MADRE NATURA
JACKIE GALLEGHAN, FOUNDER & CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Founder and Creative Director of madre natura, Jackie Galleghan’s practice is defined by sculptural silhouettes, restrained palettes, and refined craftsmanship. Sewing alongside her mother and graduating from The Fashion Design Studio in 2011 shaped her lifelong relationship with designing. Launched in 2021 during the pandemic, madre natura responded to excess with clarity of form, precision cut, and purposeful construction. Each garment is designed for circularity and longevity, reflecting a considered approach to shaping the future of fashion, developed through meticulous patternmaking and material sensitivity, and crafted to move with the body. The label has been recognised as a finalist for the National Designer Award in 2023 and 2025, receiving an Honourable Mention in Sustainability in 2023, as well as being an ELLE Next Gen Designer Awards finalist in 2025.
SPEED
ALVI CHUNG, FOUNDER & CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Alvi Chung is a Sydney-based Korean Australian fashion designer and founder of SPEED, a contemporary tailoring label working in unisex, multi-gendered design. Defined by metamorphic tailoring, precise craftsmanship, and narrative led collections, SPEED balances structure with transformation. The label is produced in Australia using deadstock and sustainable materials, with a focus on limited, intentional releases. Alvi’s work has been recognised through collaborations with Nike x Kit Couture and artist Jordan Gogos, with a work acquired by the National Gallery of Australia, featured in a Powerhouse Museum documentary on SPEED, and as a finalist for the Vogue x Toblerone Never Square Designer Awards. Alvi is also the co-founder of WINGS, a platform supporting community, mentorship, and emerging creative voices.
VAN BRUSSEL
RACHEL VAN BRUSSEL, FOUNDER & DESIGNER
Rachel Van Brussel combines international experience with meticulous craftsmanship to create designs that fuse artistry with wearability. A transformative 18 months living and working in Milan shaped her design approach, fostering a commitment to quality, innovation, and cultural depth. Across design, production, and styling, she has collaborated in Australia, Europe, and the UK with labels including Simone Perele, Katya Komarova, Sans Beast, and Rose Forde, as well as on projects with British Vogue, The Financial Times, HTSI Magazine, the Venice Film Festival, and London Design Week, refining a practice that balances creative integrity with commercial clarity. Her namesake label, VAN BRUSSEL, blends classic tailoring, urban utility, and contemporary European sensibility, prioritising sustainability through heroing deadstock materials and a commitment to longevity - producing pieces that are personal, thoughtful, and unmistakably refined.
VICTORIA BLISS
VICTORIA BLISS, FOUNDER & DESIGNER
Victoria Bliss is a premium womenswear label based in Tasmania. Founder
and designer Victoria has worked for some of Australia’s leading fashion labels across Sydney and Melbourne, honing her technical expertise before launching her namesake label. Guided by a deep respect for craftsmanship, Victoria designs considered pieces that honour timeless elegance while embracing modern womanhood. Classically constructed and consciously created for women who lead with conviction and dress with intention. Victoria Bliss
explores the balance between femininity and strength with meticulous
attention to tailoring, fabrication, and detail. Each piece is made to be
worn and cherished through the many chapters of life.
YOUKHANA
NATHANIEL YOUKHANA, DESIGNER
Nathaniel Youkhana is an Australian fashion designer with over 15 years of experience across fashion and craftsmanship. Originally known for intricate hand-braiding, his practice has evolved to focus on sustainable ready-to-wear and couture pieces crafted from rope and jersey. Maintaining the core essence of Youkhana, his work balances strength and softness through modern silhouettes, inclusivity, and thoughtful construction. Each piece reflects a commitment to longevity, comfort, and contemporary design grounded in artisanal technique.