Brisbane Label Joaen Takes Out Fashion’s Prestigious National Designer Award

Brisbane-based designer Grace Kelly launched her label Joaen in the midst of Covid. Just over five years later, she’s won the 30th National Designer Award at Melbourne Fashion Festival – one of the country’s most prestigious fashion prizes.

“I honestly got tunnel sound, I couldn’t hear anything,” Kelly says. “I just went into such shock.”

It’s a full-circle moment for Kelly, who closed her label in 2024 to reassess its direction and feasibility before relaunching last September. “That’s why I’m in pure shock. I was like, ‘Wow, okay, so this has worked.’

“The story’s still the same, the logo is still the same, the designs, everything’s still the same, but from a brand and a business point of view, we’re a lot stronger and mature.”

Named after a combination of her maternal grandmother and great-grandmother – Joan and Jean – Joaen creates tailored wardrobe staples rooted in high-quality fit, finish and fabric. They’re intentionally minimalist, offering subtle updates to classic styles. “Everyone’s like, ‘Well, why are you different? It’s just a range of basics.’ And I’m like, ‘No, there are hints of differences there that we’ve designed for the wearer,’” Kelly says.

On the runway, tailored burgundy suits and boxy blazers were finished with pleated detailing and wrap collars. Panelled wool dresses were paired with knitted jumpers, while structured capris were styled with a cropped trench. A statement gold belt anchored a high-neck leather jacket and a slinky silk dress also made up the show.  

Fashion is a family affair. Kelly runs Joaen with her mum, a design teacher and dressmaker by trade. Many designs draw on her mum’s and grandmother’s style, including her mother’s ’90s bridesmaid dresses. On her dad’s side, the family runs a merino wool farm in central New South Wales, grounding the label’s focus on Australian farming, craftsmanship and makers.

Open to designers in their first eight years of business, the award aims to launch the next big name in Australian fashion. Previous winners include Christopher Esber, Dion Lee, Toni Maticevski, Alemais and Romance Was Born – all celebrated labels that have gone on to achieve global success. Kelly receives a $20,000 cash prize along with a $150,000 business development prize pack with David Jones to help scale the brand.

She was selected from 10 finalists, including Alvia Chung of Speed, Erik Yvon, Gabriella Pereira of Beare Park and Nathaniel Youkhana of Youkhana. Rachel Van Brussel of Van Brussell won the Honourable Mention for Sustainability, taking home a $10,000 prize, while the People’s Choice Award went to Justin Tong for his bold silhouettes drawing on Vietnamese tailoring.

Kelly plans to reinvest the prize money into strengthening Joaen’s marketing production as she looks global. “I can’t wait to bring the brand to Australia more, but this year we also have so much international expansion, so it will help with that, which is really exciting.”

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