The Powerhouse of Zampatti

Arts & Entertainment Scene

Rita Bratovich
October 31, 2022

Image: Zampatti Powerhouse. Image: Powerhouse Museum

Carla Zampatti was one of Australia’s first haute couture designers and a pioneer of the fashion industry in this country. Her designs have been worn by celebrities, dignitaries, and even royalty. Now, for the first time ever, Zampatti’s entire collection has been curated for a special retrospective at the Powerhouse Museum.

Plunge halter and flare pants worn by Carla Zampatti, About 1972, On loan from the Carla Zampatti Estate, Photographed by Ryan Hernandez

Ruby jacket worn by Julia Gillard to address US Congress, 10 March 2011, Lent by the Hon Julia Gillard AC, Photographed by Ryan Hernandez

‘Titania’ jumpsuit worn by Tina Arena for her induction into the ARIA Hall of Fame, 2015, Lent by Tina Arena AM, Photographed by Ryan Hernandez

Zampatti Powerhouse celebrates the life and work of Carla Zampatti across a career spanning five decades. It features 100 designs loaned from 50 sources and includes iconic pieces that became part of the history of the people and events in which they appeared.

Highlights are: Prime Minister Julia Gillard’s jacket worn when she addressed US Congress in 2011; the white jacket worn by Christine Holgate when speaking at the Australia Post Inquiry in April 2021; the red pantsuit worn by Linda Burney for her official parliamentary portrait in 2019; Tina Arena’s jumpsuit, personally fitted for her ARIA Hall of Fame induction in 2015; and her own blue jacket frequently worn by daughter, Allegra while campaigning for the federal seat of Wentworth.

Carla Zampatti in her Surry Hills Boutique, 1975, Photo courtesy of Nine Media / Greg Lee

Other highlights include the gown worn by HRH Crown Princess Mary of Denmark for her official royal portrait in 2015; personal items worn by Zampatti; a 1985 Ford Laser she co-designed; and two large bronze busts by Dame Elisabeth Frink.

Bianca Spender and Carla Zampatti at Tiffany & Co store launch, 2004, Photo courtesy of Robert Rosen

“It is an incredible honour for Mum’s design legacy to be showcased in a major exhibition at Powerhouse Ultimo. Mum loved the magic of fashion, the big runway shows as well as hearing her customers’ personal stories and how her designs often played a small part in moments of significance in the lives of many Australian women,” says Zampatti’s son and CEO of Carla Zampatti, Alexander Schuman.

The exhibition will be complemented by a series of events including evening talks and performances, and late-night presentations. A special publication is also being released. It features archival collection fashion shoot starring Zampatti’s granddaughter Brigid Schuman, and portraits of luminaries such as Dame Quentin Bryce and Ita Buttrose by Hugh Stewart.