Christopher Esber on designing for the woman on the move

Australian designer Christopher Esber talks about his “Permanent Vacation” collection, the art of balancing tailoring with ease, and why Hong Kong’s women embody his vision of modern dressing

For Christopher Esber, it’s never either-or—it’s everything. The same goes for the woman he envisions.

The Australian designer founded his eponymous brand in 2010 and made his on-schedule Paris Fashion Week debut in September 2023. The brand has since grown beyond seasonal ready-to-wear and resort to include accessories and bridal, with menswear reportedly on the way.

For women navigating the pace of major cities like Hong Kong, Esber’s designs offer the best of both worlds. The brand harmoniously blends structured silhouettes with fluid drape, striking a balance between formality and easy, understated elegance. This interplay is evident throughout the collections—a tailored blazer finished with hand-knotted macramé fringing; a jersey strapless dress fastened with crystal-set metal hooks; a deep-V sequin gown cinched at the waist yet fluid in its fall. Esber creates for women constantly on the move—or as he puts it, women who are “always busy, not precious about their things. But she understands fabric and knows what works on her—she’s not a fashion victim.”

This winter, Esber brought his vision to Hong Kong through Rosewood’s Beaureguards Residency programme from 22-28 November. We sat with him to talk about his design vision, his Spring/Summer 2026 collection inspired by “Permanent Vacation,”
and how Hong Kong has influenced his vision of the Christopher Esber woman.

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You’ve been in Hong Kong for a few days now—what's stood out to you about the city?

Esber: There’s a practicality to dressing in the city—a kind of metropolitan practicality—but people still get dressed up. There's an element of what I’d call fantasy dressing, or at least really interesting ways of putting pieces together.

While there’s certainly the luxury client, I’ve also met some truly cool women who have their own distinct sense of style and approach to combining pieces. That’s what fascinates me most—women who do their own thing and create their own unique way of styling. Being behind the scenes in development and design, it’s always great to connect with customers and see what they gravitate towards in the collection and what resonates with them.

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Your Spring 2026 collection is inspired by the concept of “Permanent Vacation.” What does that mean to you?

Esber: The inspiration was actually this idea of dreaming of vacation when you’re at work or in the office. It was really about looking at cues from office wear—tailoring and shirting—and finding synergies between that and holiday wear. We wanted to fuse those two worlds, combining textiles that are earthy, relaxed, and chill with something more structured, tailored, and masculine.

To achieve this, we explored tailoring codes, deconstructing them and making them a bit sexier, but in a way that’s still quite restrained and not overdone.

Above A look from Christopher Esber's Spring 2026 collection

A look from Christopher Esber's Spring 2026 collection

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There's a fine line between holiday dressing and structured tailoring. How do you strike that balance?

Esber: We’re definitely known for tailoring and dresses, it’s so organic how that naturally extends into this idea of holiday wear. We approach sexiness in a chill, relaxed way. Even details like a cutout in a dress or a flap—there’s a relaxed quality to how we want the woman to feel.

The balance really comes down to playing with drape and asymmetry. Sometimes when things are too structured, they need a bit of release or something slightly off. It's about that tension between something universally appealing and sensual, paired with something more off-kilter.

Above A look from Christopher Esber's 2025 Fall/Winter collection

A look from Christopher Esber's 2025 Fall/Winter collection

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Where do you find inspiration?

Esber: It doesn’t always need to be big moments of inspiration—a woman on the street, a film, a sculpture, or even noticing a strap on your bag. These moments build up in that creative space.

My technical training in tailoring and draping has made me very hands-on. Sometimes it’s easier to just get on the mannequin and create—that’s where those unusual draped dresses come from. The magic happens when you're working directly on the form.

When you picture the woman wearing your collections, what’s her lifestyle like?

Esber: I think of her as quietly conscious about fashion and intelligent. She understands fabric and knows what works on her, but she's not a fashion victim—she’s not surrendering herself to trends. She's cool, a woman with a bit of gravitas, not too fussy.

Above A look from Christopher Esber's Resort 26 Swim collection

A look from Christopher Esber's Resort 26 Swim collection

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Christopher Esber

Cathy Huang

Content Editor, Chinese, Tatler Hong Kong

Cathy Huang is the content editor of Tatler Hong Kong, overseeing featured articles in both English and Traditional Chinese while managing the publication's social media presence.

Meet Christopher Esber, the Australian designer who creates for the woman on the move