AJE, one of Australia’s most sought-after fashion brands, has received the coveted accolade ‘Mercedes-Benz Presents’ as the headline designer for Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Australia (MBFWA) 2019. The event kicks off Australia’s largest industry-based fashion event on Sunday, 12 May 2019.
Opening with the ‘Mercedes-Benz Presents’ show at MBFWA has become one of Australian fashion’s marquee occasions. Other designers that have opened MBFWA include Camilla & Marc (2018), Dion Lee (2017), Toni Maticevski (2016), Kym Ellery (2015) and Carla Zampatti (2014).
AJE co-founders Adrian Norris and Edwina Forest will embark on a year-long partnership with Mercedes-Benz Australia/Pacific as part of being chosen as the Mercedes-Benz Presents designer.
Founded in 2008 by best friends, Adrian and Edwina, the brand pays homage to Australia’s quintessential coastal and urban style through a curated mix of effortless essentials and statement occasion pieces.
Edwina expects 2019 to be a turning point for AJE. “We are born within the raw beauty of these natural landscapes along Australia’s coastline, but our celebration of the complexity of a woman’s human experience is universal,” she said in a press release.
“With the support from Mercedes–Benz this year we will continue to reach out and touch the hearts of like-minded women, at home and around the world. This headlining position gives us the perfect platform to engage and inspire the clients we place at the heart of our brand.
“As designers, our driving force remains the same today as when we started AJE: to offer a platform for women to embrace their duality. At once raw and beautiful, tough and feminine, effortless and cool, our collections echo the co-existing tensions and complexities that unite us all.”
Adrian says the honour of opening MBFWA is a statement of recognition not only for the brand but for AJE’s loyal clients. “We always seek to offer them something truly unique, and we look forward to making this a milestone moment with them in mind,” he says.
Mercedes-Benz Australia/Pacific CEO and Managing Director, Horst von Sanden, says fashion remains a key touchstone for the brand, with Mercedes-Benz supporting more than 50 fashion events in 30 countries around the world — including New Zealand.
“We see the parallels every day between the world of high fashion and the automotive industry, which is on the cusp of re-inventing itself like never before,” he says.
“This year we will launch our first mainstream all-electric vehicle, the EQC, in Australia, and we expect it will delight both the hearts and minds of our customers as a very advanced solution to the question of future mobility.”
“We are always thinking many years ahead and it is the same for fashion designers such as AJE, who must tap into the desires of their customer and produce garments that are both beautiful and practical.”
Adrian says he sees strong parallels between the timeless designs devised by AJE and the enduring style of Mercedes-Benz.
“AJE and Mercedes-Benz share an inherent sophistication, and a desire to embody perfection in our craft,” he says. “Our eye for design does not look to trends. We set ourselves apart by offering ageless style that sits outside the passing of time.”
Congratulations to AJE, we look forward to a spectacular show.
