Inside my wardrobe Carla Zampatti

An icon of Australian fashion for over half a century, our favourite designer shares her style secrets and tips for classic dressing.

YOUR STYLE?

Simple with confidence and no fuss.

WHAT'S A FOREVER TREND?

Classic black and white – it has been the basis of my collections for 55 years – every women should start a wardrobe with these colours and build from there.

THE BEST FASHION ADVICE IS

From my customers who tell me all the time to never stop designing as they have wardrobes of my designs and they have so many memories associated with them.

WARDROBE MUST-HAVE

I am biased and would say a jumpsuit as I have so many from over the years and customers still ask for a style that I might have created years before. I’m looking at bringing back some of the iconic styles from my archive this spring.

WARDROBE HACK

My wardrobe is minimal and doesn’t take up much space. Each season I choose six outfits that I wear all the time. This minimises the need for too much storage space. I believe if you love something and it makes you feel good then you should wear it as much as possible.

MY CAPSULE WARDROBE

Jumpsuit – I’ve been designing them since I started 55 years ago. They’re perfect for most occasions. A tailored jacket – with strong shoulders, tailored to define the waist. Skinny or wide leg pants – we have two styles that haven't changed for over 10 years. A sleeveless dress – ideal to dress up or down, great with a jacket or coat. A blouse – soft and draping, a perfect partner to classic pants.

MOST VALUED WARDROBE ITEM

Wide leg pants - they make me feel confident and with a heel add extra height.

FAVOURITE AUSTRALIAN DESIGNER

I only wear my own designs. It makes it easier to design when I personally know what works, although I adore accessories from Georg Jensen.

DESIGNER DISCOVERY

I admire the draping and fluidity of my daughter’s brand, Bianca Spender, the creativity of Romance Was Born and the drama of Toni Maticevski [below].