Carla Zampatti

Carla Zampatti was born in 1938 in Lovero, in Lombardy, and came to Western Australia with her mother in 1950. After moving to Sydney in 1963 she produced her first small collection in 1965, launched nationally two years later and founded Carla Zampatti Limited in 1970.

Her first boutique opened in Surry Hills in 1972, followed by Mosman, Double Bay and Elizabeth Street, and the business grew to a chain of about 30 boutiques and concept stores. In 1973 she was one of the first Australian designers to add swimwear to a collection; her first perfume, Carla, followed in 1983. She was appointed AM in 1987 and Companion of the Order of Australia in 2009, and received the Australian Fashion Laureate award in 2008. Her daughter Bianca Spender designed a capsule for the label from 2004 before launching her own brand in 2017.

Zampatti died in April 2021 after a fall and was given a state funeral. The label marked 60 years in 2025 and opened Australian Fashion Week's 30th anniversary in 2026 with Reflections, a 45-look collection by head designer Tanya Emon Beattie.