Menswear label FROM BRITTEN has been announced as the winner of the 2013 L’Oréal Melbourne Fashion Festival National Designer Award, Australia’s most prestigious and highly regarded fashion award. Since launching their first collection in 2006, the Melbourne-based label has developed a cult following for its progressive reductionist approach to design and dedication to the time honoured principles of menswear and tailoring.

“We are very excited to see menswear rise to the top in terms of creativity and business development, says Graeme Lewsey, L’Oréal Melbourne Fashion Festival Chief Executive Officer. “FROM BRITTEN demonstrated such a solid presentation and on behalf of all judges, we know they are the ones to watch into the future.”

According to the designers behind FROM BRITTEN, Alexander and Tim Britten-Finschi, “we believe in a simplistic aesthetic, based on function and knowledge behind each product, so that one does not get carried away with superfluous detail... unless otherwise agreed.”

Although their designs appear simple at first glance, a closer inspection reveals an extremely high level of craftsmanship and attention to detail. This covertly complex approach to menswear design ensures that the aesthetics achieved by elements of function are not lost in the pursuit of form.

Presented by Tiffany and Co., the award acknowledges designers in their first five years of business who excel in creative design, display supreme quality, fashion innovation and unique style and demonstrate potential for growth within the industry. This year’s prize pool includes a custom designed trophy by Tiffany & Co., a cash prize of $10,000 from ANZ Private, and editorial support in Harper BAZAAR.