Carla Zampatti: The Most Influential Australian Fashion Designer

In Australia, there are over 5000 fashion labels and more than 2000 companies exporting. One of the most influential Australian fashion designers is Carla Zampatti. In 1960, she started her brand with only a small collection that was launched two years later. Carla’s first boutique opened in 1973 and in the 1990’s the Australian Fashion Industry named her “Fashion Designer of the Year”. After multiple achievements and high honors, in 2015, Zampatti celebrated the milestone “50 Years of Fashion”. She is recognized for her signature styles such as her stovepipe pants, crepe jackets, and full skirts. “One does not simply become a fashion icon like Carla Zampatti” (Clarke, 2015). Another label that inspires many trends is Zimmermann. Zimmermann is an Australian label created in 1990,

Some brands that are more known worldwide for their beach and swimwear are Billabong, Rip Curl, and Quiksilver. Billabong is a company founded in 1973 on the Gold Coast by Surfer Gordan Merchant and his former partner, Rena. In the beginning, they were designing, and manufacturing board shorts at home, and transporting them to local surf shops. By the 1980’s, Billabong established itself in the Australian surf culture and was ready to expand internationally. Ever since then, Billabong has been among the top surf brands in the world. Doug “Claw” Warbrick and Brian “Sing Ding” Singer founded Rip Curl, another Australian surf wear brand, in 1969. It started with surfboards and now nine corporate licensees sell Rip Curl products in countries such as Australia, Argentina, Brazil, Canada, New Zealand, Peru, Chile, France, Japan, South Africa, Israel, Indonesia, Mauritius, and The United States. Rip Curl is also highly involved in competitive surfing events, competitions, and worldwide tours. They are most well known for their wetsuits and surfing