17 Facts About Carla Zampatti

Carla Zampatti's clothes were appreciated and liked from the beginning.

Carla Zampatti opened her first boutique in 1972 in Surry Hills, Sydney.

In 1973, Carla Zampatti became one of the first Australian designers to introduce swimwear into her collection.

In partnership with Ford Australia, Carla Zampatti redesigned a car especially for the women's market.

Carla Zampatti held a number of directorships, including chairman of the SBS Corporation, a director of the Westfield Group, and a trustee of the Art Gallery of New South Wales.

Carla Zampatti was a board member of the Australian Multicultural Foundation, the European Australian Business Council, Sydney Dance Company, MCA Foundation, and UTS V-C's Industry Advisory Board.

From 1988 until her death in 2021, Carla Zampatti served as a judge of the Ethnic Business Awards, a prestigious national award for migrant and Indigenous entrepreneurs which honours their contribution to the nation.

Carla Zampatti was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in the 1987 Australia Day honours for service to the fashion industry as a designer and manufacturer.

Carla Zampatti was elevated as a Companion of the Order in the 2009 Queen's Birthday Honours List.

In 2001 Carla Zampatti was awarded the Centenary Medal for service to Australian society in business leadership.

In January 2005, Carla Zampatti was honoured by Australia Post and named on a commemorative Australian postage stamp, along with other Australian fashion designers, Prue Acton, Jenny Bannister, Collette Dinnigan, Akira Isogawa, and Joe Saba.

Carla Zampatti later designed the new Australia Post corporate wear, launched in October 2007.

In 1999, Carla Zampatti was admitted as a Doctor of Letters honoris causa by the University of Western Sydney.

Carla Zampatti was married twice: she married Leo Schuman, her first husband, in 1964.

Carla Zampatti had three children: Alex Schuman, Allegra Spender, and Bianca Spender.

On 26 March 2021, Carla Zampatti attended the opening night of La traviata at Mrs Macquarie's Chair on Sydney Harbour, where she was knocked unconscious after falling on a staircase.

Carla Zampatti's family accepted the offer of a state funeral from the New South Wales government.