This work describes the preparation of luminescent, high-performance aromatic polyamides. The fluorescent behaviour was achieved by preparing a diacid monomer containing a fluorescent dipicolinic acid derivative and polymerising it with commercially available aromatic diacid and diamine monomers to give polyisophthalamides. These materials can be structurally compared to commercialised meta-aramid fibres [poly(m-phenylene isophthalamide), brand names: NOMEX® and Teijinconex®]. The pendant fluorescent motif provided the material with a light green fluorescence and was found to be a selective host unit for cations of environmental, biomedical and industrial significance [Cr(VI), Fe(III) and Cu(III)].