October 2023, and Christopher Esber was finally on the other side of his debut on the Paris fashion week schedule. His spring/summer ‘24 show was the culmination of 14 years of dogged, determined hard work, but once a career-long goal like this is reached, the ensuing low can be swift – especially if a champagne celebration is involved.
But Esber's response was different, primal even. “I had the immediate need to lay on grass, and to reconnect with the earth,” he reflects of showing at the Cité de l'architecture et du patrimoine between Givenchy and Rick Owens. “The lead-up to the show had kept me away from that connection I felt I needed, so I lay on a small grass patch with my team.”
For those who know the Sydney-born designer, one of our most successful local exports, this guiding intuition is the 36-year-old's superpower. His namesake label has gone from Australian fashion week mainstay to reliable go-to for elevated after-dark dresses,
