‘Profound loss’: Heartbreak as iconic Australian designer dead aged 60

Tributes are flowing for an iconic Australian fashion designer who died at the age of 60 after a short battle with a rare brain condition.

Tributes are flowing for an iconic Australian fashion designer, who died after battling a short battle with a brain disorder.

Aurelio Costarella, 60, died on Sunday morning following a short battle with Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, a rare brain disorder that can lead to dementia, personality changes, blindness and can be ultimately fatal.

The designer’s death was confirmed in a social media post on Saturday afternoon.

“Aurelio Costarella peacefully left this world this morning to begin his journey to a new one,” the statement read.

“Sending love to all whose heart he touched.”

Perth-based fashion designer Aurelio Costarella has died at the age of 60 following a short battle with a brain disorder. Picture: Instagram

Fellow stylists, designers and celebrities shared condolences to the late designer, such as Australian designer, Toni Matičevski, who remembered him as a “dear friend”.

TV personality Julia Morris, who wore the designer’s pieces for several decades, penned a touching tribute to the “brilliant and generous artist”.

“From fittings in the early mid ‘90s to Logies gowns over the years,” she said,

“Aurelio was a brilliant and generous artist and designer but even more so, a gentleman of note.”

Singer Tina Arena, who was also a regular client of Mr Costarella, said his death was a “profound loss”.

The self-taught designer’s pieces were on the runways across London, Paris and New York. Picture: Instagram

He dressed celebrities such as Queen Mary of Denmark and Dita Von Teese (pictured). Picture: Instagram/

Mr Costarella was born in Perth to Italian parents who immigrated from Calabria in 1954, and was a self-taught fashion designer whose work featured on the runways across Paris, New York and London.

His mother was the budding source of his inspiration, creating his first piece at the age of 10.

He was best known for his demi-couture pieces, which were worn by the likes of Dannii Minogue, Queen Mary of Denmark and Julia Gillard, as well as international stars including Rihanna, Dita Von Teese, Tyra Banks and Nicole Scherzinger.

In 2006, he became the first WA designer to feature at New York Fashion Week, which he showed for four seasons, and was inducted into the Design Institute of Australia Hall of Fame in 2016.

He was appointed an ambassador for Lifeline WA in 2015 after opening up about his struggle with depression, advocating to reduce stigma surrounding mental health issues.

He closed his label in 2017 amid a challenging retail industry and depression, instead shifting his focus to painting, and creating art prints and wallpaper.

Originally published as ‘Profound loss’: Heartbreak as iconic Australian designer dead aged 60