Sydney based designer bags DHL Fashion Export Scholarship

Oozing elegance, meticulous detail and unrivalled creativity, An Ode to No One was selected above two staunch competitors, Kahlo and Shona Joy and was judged by an esteemed panel of judges, including: Elle Persson Director, Strategy and Brand Development, IMG Fashion; designer Michael Lo Sordo and Head of Asia-Pacific, Madeleine Allman from online e-retailer my-wardrobe.com.

“I’m honoured to have been selected for the DHL Fashion Export Scholarship, I am speechless really. It is a truly amazing opportunity for me to grow and expand my label internationally, which has been a dream for me since An Ode to No One’s inception,” Adi said of his selection.

An Ode to No One was launched in 2009 with the brand going from strength to strength since its inception. From a debut at Australian Fashion Week in 2012, selection as the winner of the Chambord Shine Award and recognition in the US for his designs, Adi has continued to raise the profile of his brand growing the business profits by a huge 900% with the label’s seven collections encompassing 42 pieces of his signature style.

After moving to Sydney from Indonesia, Adi’s strong creative calling eventually led him to leave a career in criminology and enrol in Sydney’s Whitehouse School of Design, where he further cultivated his aesthetic. He took this newfound knowledge with him to the house of Akira Isogawa, where he worked from 2002 to 2004, before he was recruited by Nicola Finetti to be the head designer of the Nylon Flocks diffusion line. At the time of his departure Adi had grown Nylon Flocks to 80 stockists worldwide, including the prestigious Harrods in London.

Supporting An Ode to No One’s stunning designs is a strong domestic base of 14 Australian stockists and a small presence in Asia and with a promising international expansion strategy the judges recognized this as the perfect balance for selection as the DHL Fashion Scholarship winner.

Having noticed Adi’s great work in the industry, judge and designer Michael Lo Sordo was very proud of his selection.

“An Ode to No One was selected for having the perfect mix of international exporting potential, domestic success, design aesthetic and sound expansion strategy. Having just expanded my own label internationally I know that Adi has what it takes to succeed globally and his label will really showcase the amazing fashion talent in Australia.”

Gary Edstein, Senior Vice President of DHL Express Oceania said that DHL Express is proud to announce An Ode to No One as the winner of the Scholarship.

“We believe this is a fantastic opportunity for Adi and his label An Ode to No One and we are delighted that the DHL Fashion Export Scholarship will help him realise his international exporting potential,” said Edstein.

An Ode to No One will be the third label added to the outstanding list of previously Aussie winners, We Are Handsome and Bec & Bridge who have been successfully launched onto the global stage. 

DHL