Trailblazer Carla Zampatti’s legacy: classic clothes and the designers she mentored
Carla Zampatti is irreplaceable, but her fashion empire will not only survive, it will thrive — and her legacy will live on through future generations of creators.
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There will never be another Carla Zampatti because the woman behind the iconic brand was so much more than a fashion designer.
She was a businesswoman. A mentor. A fierce advocate for the industry she dedicated her life to — and her influence went well beyond the dresses hanging in wardrobes all over the world.
Vogue Australia editor-in-chief Edwina McCann says Zampatti’s success forced corporate Australia to take the fashion industry seriously for the first time — and that legacy would be as timeless as her designs.
“She was seen as a successful businesswoman and entrepreneur first, not just a designer. I think she was indicative of the fact that the industry should be and, thanks to her now is, taken seriously,” McCann said.
“Fashion is a serious exporter, it’s a serious employer of people, so it’s an industry that isn’t just ‘women’s business’ — she was probably the frontrunner in that way, that she was able to be taken seriously in boardrooms as a fashion designer, and that’s what’s significant.”
The world this week mourned the loss of the 78-year-old fashion stalwart, who died on April 3, a week after she fell at the opening night of Opera Australia’s La Traviata opening night. A state funeral will be held at St Mary’s Cathedral next week.
Fashion lovers everywhere have paid tribute to the woman who effortlessly transcended generations with her classic designs, dressing women for their whole lives — from school formals to wedding days, and then the weddings of their children.
And that is something McCann says is sure to continue, despite the visionary’s passing, thanks to her children — Alex Schuman, CEO of the family business, and daughters Allegra Spender, managing director, and designer Bianca Spender.
“The idea that we won’t be able to wear Carla Zampatti any more, well that’s just not true — there is a big design team that do a fantastic job and will continue on, and Carla has left Alex and the girls very well prepared to deal with what comes next,” McCann said.
“On a global level, with the passing of the likes of Gianni Versace or Karl Lagerfeld, we’ve seen those brands continue, and indeed grow and be strong, after their passing, so I don’t think this is the end of Carla Zampatti the brand — but the passing of the woman is very significant for Australian women because she meant so much more than the clothes on their backs.”
McCann says while there would never be another Carla, there were other designers destined to leave similar impacts on fashion in Australia.
“There will be, and there are, other designers, such as Zimmermann, who will no doubt have similar longevity, and while they will provide very different fashion for women’s wardrobes, I believe they will be just as iconic, and are,” she said.
“That’s not to diminish what Carla was, but I don’t think this is the end of Australian fashion, and I don’t think Carla would want that at all.
“Carla was very good at representing and mentoring.
“I don’t think people realise there aren’t a lot of businesses the scale of Carla’s, where a young designer can go and work in a design room in Australia at that level and gain that experience — she was, and remains very important and her influence went beyond the fashion industry.”
The Fashion Institute’s Bryce McIntosh said Zampatti was a mentor to many students from the organisation over the past decade, many of whom interned for her, volunteered at her fashion shows and were able to learn from the famed designer herself.
“She’s irreplaceable,” he said.
“There isn’t anyone in Australia that fits that beautiful mould of a Carla Zampatti — we have plenty of amazing talent in Australia and we have an incredible export of talent, but when it comes to a brand that has the history and legacy of Carla Zampatti, there is no one that fits that mould.
“And I don’t want to see someone that fits that mould — I love the history of fashion and that she was so iconic.”
He said an 18-year-old Fashion Institute student had recently been given the opportunity to work with Zampatti — learning from one of the biggest names in Australian fashion history, fresh out of school.
“Which gives such an insight into who Carla was — she wanted to give her advice and insight to the next generation, and the students who have interned with her over the years have gotten amazing industry jobs and now work in London, New York – it’s amazing,” he said.
“She was always supporting people — she knew who she was, she was confident in her brand and was willing to open herself up to the next generation and give her guidance.
“And it wasn’t just standing around watching her whip up these amazing gowns — she would ask the students what they thought and involve them.
“She was a very special lady.”
Sydney designer Karen Gee, who wore Carla Zampatti when she won the Mrs Australia title in 2011, before starting her own namesake brand two years later, said sustaining a fashion career spanning five decades was both inspiring and admirable.
“My style has always been that of timeless elegance, and having the opportunity then to showcase a Carla Zampatti dress was an honour, and more so that Carla chose it for me — she wanted me to wear a dress that I felt my most beautiful in,” she said.
“I was inspired by Carla for her true understanding of women, and the difference a beautiful dress can make to their confidence, and presence in general.”
Gee, whose Blessed dress was worn by Meghan, Duchess of Cambridge, during her 2018 Australian tour, said longevity and consistency set Zampatti apart.
“She was consistent with her voice, consistent with loyalty, and consistent with her designs, and so paved her own way to be renowned for her glorious lifelong garments and legacy.”
Sydney University fashion expert Robyn Gibson, who has written a book — The Memory Of Clothes — on the significance of fashion in our lives, said the fact that Zampatti’s brand had spanned some 50 years was unique in an industry that was so often “fast and disposable”.
“I have friends now who say ‘I still have my Zampatti jumpsuit’ — women have kept that signature piece, there was a timelessness about her that many designers don’t have,” the associate professor of Sydney University’s Visual and Creative Arts Education said.
“There is an elegance to the garments that transcends time … it is such a testament to good design and tailoring, which is what you’d expect from a designer like Carla Zampatti.”
She said her book paid homage to the special pieces in your wardrobe — and for so many Australian women, that was Carla.
“And those special pieces that you do keep, whether it’s your wedding gown or the dress you wore on your first date or the suit you wore to your divorce, there are memories etched into those special pieces.
“It’s an investment in that piece that they wore for special occasions that you keep and comes out every now and again — there is definitely a timelessness about her style, and that’s why her business will continue even now that she’s gone.”
Founder and designer of Sydney label Esse, Charlotte Hicks, said a lifetime dedication to the fashion industry was no mean feat.
“That lifetime dedication to the craft is such a rare thing these days,” she said. “In addition to that, to build a brand that has that sort of longevity is so inspiring.”
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