Camilla

Camilla Franks was born in Sydney in 1976. Her first calling was the theatre, and she has said that her mother and grandmother were rarely seen without a kimono, a kaftan or a headscarf. She fell into fashion by designing kaftans, and her label made its debut at Australian Fashion Week in 2004 with a runway show staged as a kind of fashion opera, which she created, choreographed and directed herself. The business was based in Bondi, in Sydney's east.

Success came quickly. Within a year the department store David Jones was stocking the collection, and its prints, hand-drawn and painted by in-house artists and inspired by Franks's travels, became instantly recognisable. Pieces are cut and sewn by hand and embellished with crystals and beading. Franks has described Beyoncé, spotted buying several kaftans at Harvey Nichols, as her first celebrity customer; Oprah Winfrey, Naomi Watts and Miranda Kerr followed. The brand built a cheerful, maximalist identity that set it apart from the minimalism that dominated fashion at the time.

From kaftans the label expanded into resort wear, ready-to-wear, swimwear, accessories and homewares, along with a long list of collaborations. By 2017 Forbes reported 20 stores across Australia, a headquarters staff of about 200, pop-ups at Bergdorf Goodman and stockists including Harrods, Selfridges and Saks Fifth Avenue. Franks has been outspoken about protecting original designs from copying, a constant issue for a brand whose prints are its signature, and its Bondi store has been the target of several robberies.

In January 2018, months after the birth of her daughter, Franks was diagnosed with stage three breast cancer. She spoke publicly about her treatment while continuing to lead the brand.

Camilla's designs gained new international attention when they appeared in the television series The White Lotus. In January 2023 Andrew and Nicola Forrest's investment vehicle Tattarang took a minority shareholding, the first external capital the company had accepted. At the time the brand had 25 boutiques in Australia and the United States, hundreds of stockists in 65 countries and about 40 per cent of its sales overseas, with revenue of $118.2 million for the 2022 financial year, according to documents cited by the Sydney Morning Herald. Franks remains founder and creative director, and twenty years after a single kaftan, Camilla is one of Australia's most recognisable labels, proof that colour and joy can sustain a business.