The Next Gen program proudly presented by DHL focuses on supporting Australia’s emerging designers.

Established in 1996 with the goal of identifying emerging designers, each year’s winners selected for the Next Gen prize are provided invaluable marketing, publicity and social media coverage to reach a global audience, and industry-networking opportunities. Next Gen has helped discover and launch the careers of Camilla and Marc, Kate Sylvester, Gorman, sass and bide and Akira.

The winners of the 2021 program, all receive one thousand dollars in DHL Express shipping credits as recipients of their achievements.

• Aaizél: Minhee Jo has a unique approach to fashion, converging the influences of romantic and detailed European Art and traditional East Asian clothing construction.
  www.aaizel.com
• Erik-Yvon: Erik Yvon is a Melbourne-based fashion designer who draws inspiration from his origins in Mauritius.
  www.erik-yvon.com
• Outfaced: Designer Megan Taylor is a recent graduate of Whitehouse Institute of Design, Melbourne.
  www.instagram.com/outfacedd/
• Replica Project: Prior to undertaking a Master of Fashion at RMIT University Australia, designer Amanda Nicols worked as a costume cutter and maker with film credits including Baz Luhrmann’s ‘Australia’ and ‘The Great Gatsby,’
  www.replicaproject.com

To complement the Next Gen runway show for 2021, a panel discussion will be presented by DHL, as part of AAFW’s ongoing series of culturally-enriching conversations, AAFW: The Talks. Australian fashion’s next generation of designers will share the challenges and opportunities of working during the pandemic, and where they see the future of our industry.