3 minute read
Carla Zampatti: A Memoir by Lara Lupish
When I first met Carla Zampatti in person, I was working as a fashion editor in Sydney. I was styling A-list Australian celebrities and she was my absolute go-to when I was prepping my shoots.
I always had the utmost confidence in what her showroom held for my perusal. I knew if I had Carla Zampatti for my shoots, everything would be OK. My clothing racks held prominent international luxury brands such as Giorgio Armani, Salvatore Ferragamo and Chanel, and of course, proudly perched alongside those historical brands was Australia’s Carla Zampatti. Her designs were coveted as much by my clients as the other international fashion houses.
I had been living abroad for a while, so upon my return I had to learn the lay of the land as far as the Australian fashion industry went. I returned to a country that was filled with talented designers I hadn't heard of, but Carla I was familiar with. When I was a little girl, my very stylish grandmother would wear her designs. I relied on her designs, the feel, the fabrication. Carla paid attention to what made a woman look and feel her best no matter what size or shape; a size 8 body would look equally as good as a fuller figure.
Carla Zampatti was born in Lovero, Italy and her family arrived on Australian shores in 1950. A very different Australia in those times, Carla saw a need both in the women of Australia as well as a need to fulfil in herself around fashion and design and to impose some of her personality and culture on her collections. She would bring a fresh look to what Australian fashion was. Her touch on the fashion industry in this country continues to the present day.
Her collections, so innovative each and every time, could do no wrong, garnishing the attention of princesses and celebrities alike, as well as the average woman who would fall for her trap of creating impeccable pieces and tailoring that sculpted each and every body she dressed. Her success saw her empire grow quite dramatically as the consumer coveted her next collection and waited in anticipation for the next story Carla Zampatti would tell.
I recall meeting Carla after one of her many highly anticipated and revered runway shows at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, when the event was held on the sparkling Sydney Harbour where we all sipped champagne and felt such pride in our designers. Sitting at a Zampatti show was reminiscent of my days sitting at London Fashion Week or New York Fashion Week. The anticipation of seeing the first look hit the runway as the lights came up was as electric as I recalled in the major cities of the world. That is what Carla Zampatti brought to the fashion industry: strength, confidence and quality.
This paved the way for many other Australian designers to follow in her footsteps and be inspired to create collections that spoke to the world as hers did. A phenomenal legacy was created.
From her very first photo shoot in front of the Sydney Opera House under construction in 1965, she put her brand in a conscious collaboration with Australian design, the ultimate in design, the Sydney Opera House. She perched herself right from the start at the top, at the place that drew the most amount of attention for the brand and from this she was almost guaranteed success in her career. Her empire grew.
In the ’80s as the fashion trend for the women’s ‘power suit’ grew all over the world, Carla Zampatti would be making her own powerful influence as she was voted Australian Business Woman of the Year.
In 2015, Fashion Week saw her brand return to the iconic Sydney Opera House where it all began for her. She celebrated her 50th anniversary in front of the whole Australian fashion industry in a runway show that will go down in history.
Carla Zampatti made an enormous impact on the culture and formation of an industry in Australia.
THANK YOU, MS ZAMPATTI, FOR GIVING US THE GIFT OF STYLE AND GRACE.
IMAGES COURTESY CARLA ZAMPATTI
