logo
How the late Carla Zampatti is influencing designers at Australian Fashion Week

How the late Carla Zampatti is influencing designers at Australian Fashion Week

Australian design icon Carla Zampatti continued to influence local designers at the brand's opening of Australian Fashion Week in Sydney on Monday night.
The Carla Zampatti brand celebrated 60 years of its elegant designs with 60 looks featured on an outdoor runway at the Museum of Contemporary Art along Sydney's harbour.
The designer launched the eponymous label in 1965, and released her first national collection five years later.
She died in 2021 after a serious fall at an outdoor opera event aged 78.
Chief executive of Carla Zampatti and son of the late designer, Alex Schuman, said he wanted the brand's 60th anniversary to celebrate Australia's designers.
"There are countless designers, stylists, photographers, even models, who got their first run in Carla Zampatti, and now they've got their own brands," Mr Schuman said.
As part of the runway, 14 local designers were featured, including Grace Lillian Lee, Pip Edwards, Michael Lo Sordo and Zampatti's daughter Bianca Spender.
Sydney-based designer Lo Sordo was mentored by Zampatti and said he was "honoured" to be one of the 14 designers to feature in this "milestone" runway.
He said Zampatti would "swan in and swan out" of rooms, often unannounced, and that "effortless" presence was inspiration for his garment.
"Carla touched so many people over the decades of her legacy and her career."
Lo Sordo said the next generation of designers were carrying on Zampatti's legacy and "taking Carla into the future".
With Australian Fashion Week nearing three decades, the event's format has changed over the years.
This year, not-for-profit organisation the Australian Fashion Council has taken control of the event.
Australian Fashion Week CEO, Kellie Hush, said the week was a "trade event" and not "fashion entertainment".
"We are not set up to make a profit out of Australian Fashion Week; we are here to serve the industry … and make sure it's strong for the future," Ms Hush said.
"The domestic customer is really important … what's happening internationally in unpredictable."
The fashion landscape in Australia has been hit by ongoing cost-of-living pressures and is impacted by the recent tariffs imposed by the US.
Australia's fashion industry is worth about $28 billion and just over $7 billion of this is from exports, according to the Australian Fashion Council.
Carla Zampatti holds a unique position, being a locally made brand.
"We're Australian-made; it doesn't really impact us … I think for brands that are exporting Chinese-made products, it's going to be a really big challenge from them," Mr Schuman said.
Despite cost of living pressures, Mr Schuman said he has noticed a consumer shift towards local brands.
Lo Sordo said Australian Fashion Week was a prime opportunity for the new generation of designers.
"It's a really important time at the moment where we need to focus on our local industry," Lo Sordo said.
Designs from Monday night's runway with Carla Zampatti will be donated to a permanent collection of works by Australian designers at the Powerhouse Museum.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Waleed Aly's ‘emotional' reaction to Channel 10 axing The Project revealed
Waleed Aly's ‘emotional' reaction to Channel 10 axing The Project revealed

News.com.au

time6 hours ago

  • News.com.au

Waleed Aly's ‘emotional' reaction to Channel 10 axing The Project revealed

Carrie Bickmore has described her former The Project co-host Waleed Aly's 'emotional' response to Channel 10's decsion to axe the long running show. Channel 10 officially announced on Monday that the news and current affairs show is coming to an end after 16 years on air. Hosts including Sarah Harris and Waleed Aly later addressed the news during an awkward segment on the show that night. Speaking about the cancellation on her radio show, The Hit Network's Carrie & Tommy, on Tuesday, Bickmore revealed that she'd been in contact with Aly following the news going public. She shared that she had never seen him 'so emotional' in all the time they've known each other. 'I spoke to Waleed yesterday and I don't think I've ever heard him that emotional,' Bickmore said. 'He was so emotional about it. To Sarah, Sam, and Georgie, all the four hosts that have been on that desk. It's live. It was happening every night on air. It's never nice to find out your show is no longer, and I think there'll be a lot of people that miss having the company of those people on the screen.' Bickmore went on to share her own feelings about Channel 10's decision to axe the show, confessing that she feels 'sad' about its fate. 'I feel sad,' she continued. 'I don't want people to feel alone – and that's the power of TV and free-to-air TV. It's a thing that's dying. But we should be proud, 16 years of a live six-night-a-week TV show is phenomenal. I'm thinking of everyone there today. 'I've made so many friends on that show, and I'm thinking of them all today. Many of them are still there and had to hear the news yesterday that they don't have a job anymore. If you are looking for people to employ in this industry, they are some of the most talented people you will find. Their ability to pivot and cover light and shade and be on top of the news, finding a completely different angle is a certain suite of skill sets not a lot of people have,' she added. 'They're just bloody awesome people.'

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store