Carla Zampatti milestone to aid bushfire recovery victims

Carla Zampatti created a one-off gown to be auctioned with funds going to the Australian Red Cross Disaster Relief and Recovery Fund.

Carla Zampatti in Melbourne with indigenous model Charlee Fraser wearing a gown to be auctioned to raise money for bushfire relief. Picture: Aaron Francis

“The customer is king.” Putting customers front and centre reaps results, something Carla Zampatti understands better than most, as she celebrates 55 years in business this year.

Her designs hit the catwalk on Tuesday night for the opening of the Virgin Australia Melbourne Fashion Festival, featuring Australian and international designers from David Jones. “The Melbourne festival is always wonderful,” Zampatti said, “because it caters to the public, and that’s who we should be catering to.”

For the finale, Zampatti created a one-off gown modelled by international indigenous modelling sensation Charlee Fraser.

The striking one-sleeved ­sequinned dress will be auctioned on the David Jones website over the next week, with funds going to the Australian Red Cross Disaster Relief and Recovery Fund in ­response to the summer bushfires.

“This was important to do for such a good cause,” Zampatti said. “Australians are wonderful, resilient people — we pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off and start over again. But it’s a challenge for people affected by the fires, losing homes and contents. All we can do is sympathise and try and help in any way we can.”

David Jones decided against holding a season launch in February as it usually would, out of ­respect for those affected by the fires. “We didn’t think it would be an appropriate action,” Bridget Veals, general manager womens­wear, said. As such, Tuesday night’s catwalk show had to be “a bigger and better event”.

Of Zampatti’s 55th anniversary, Veals said: “We wanted to celebrate with her … and this (finale dress) was a great way of doing it and giving back.”