Carla Zampatti greets me at the door of her Woollahra home wearing an elegant, perfectly tailored jumpsuit – one of her signature looks. Her house is a sprawling sanctuary of feminine class: art, books and stylish furniture. Her presence warm, her carriage poised.

If it seems like Carla Zampatti has always been around, a name you recognise, a label on clothing that you, or someone you know, wears, that's because this year Zampatti celebrates 55 years in business. It's an achievement that Zampatti is celebrating in her characteristically subdued manner, letting – as always – her work speak for itself.