Yvonne Dite will never forget the moment she first locked eyes with her husband Bruce across a crowded pub in her Carla Zampatti mini dress.
Neither will the 73-year-old grandmother-of-four ever let go of the 1967 blue and purple zig zag shift gown after the legendary designer’s death on Saturday.
Zampatti died at St Vincent’s Hospital on Saturday morning – a week after she fell down stairs at an outdoor opening performance of Opera Australia’s Traviata on Sydney Harbour.
Ms Dite, from Templestowe Lower in Melbourne’s east, wore the dress she bought in 1967 to the Southside Six Hotel in Moorabbin on January 24, 1968.
Yvonne Dite, from Templestowe Lower in Melbourne’s east, purchased a blue and purple zig zag shift dress from the designer in 1967
Born in Italy in 1942, Zampatti (pictured) migrated to Australia in 1950 and set up her now famous fashion famous label at 24
The pair spent the night dancing together, and Mr Dite fondly remembers the then-19-year-old being a ‘standout’.
Mr Dite said he called his future wife at her job a few days later and they started dating soon after.
‘And that was a start of a long, lovely romance,’ Mrs Dite told The Age.
About 20 years later, in the early 1990s, Mrs Dite was spring cleaning and nearly threw out the dress, but her husband insisted she hold onto it.
She even surprised Mr Dite on their 40th wedding anniversary in Thailand in 2010 by wearing the dress to breakfast.
But it wasn’t until two years ago that Mrs Dite properly looked at the tag for the first time and realised the designer behind the dress was Carla Zampatti.
‘She was obviously a very talented, clever person. I wanted to say how much happiness she’s given to so many people with her lovely outfits over the years,’ Mrs Dite said.
The grandmother-of-four said the dress holds great sentimental value as it was the first outfit her now husband Bruce ever saw her in. Pictured far right with her mother Edie and sister Lesley
In 2019, Mrs Dite sent Zampatti a letter telling the designer how much she loved wearing the timeless dress.
A month later the grandmother received an unexpected phone call from Zampatti herself.
‘She said she was so pleased to see one of her early designs still around, and what was lovely is she said: “You know, Yvonne, it’s clients like you that make my job worthwhile”.
Zampatti spokeswoman Kellie Hush commemorated the designer as ‘Australia’s most successful and enduring fashion designer’ and a ‘champion of Australian women’.
‘She continued to thrive as a businesswoman through enormous radical and social change, designing clothes for women fighting for liberation through the women’s rights movement in the 1960s to empowering women today in leadership, the workplace, in their home and at major life events,’ Ms Hush said.
Her family said: ‘Carla has long been celebrated for making Australian women feel confident and elegant through her exceptional design, tailoring and understanding of the modern woman.’
As women like Ms Dite vow to hold their staple Zampatti pieces close and pass them down in the family, others rushed to stores and online to snap up what they can of her latest collections.
About 20 years later, in the early 1990s, Mrs Dite was spring cleaning and nearly threw out the dress, but her husband insisted she hold onto it. Pictured: Mrs Dite in the dress on her honeymoon in 1970
It wasn’t until two years ago that Mrs Dite properly looked at the tag for the first time and realised the iconic designer behind the dress was Carla Zampatti
Phoebe Burgess, who shares two children with her ex-husband, NRL star Sam Burgess, vowed to keep all of her Zampatti designs in pristine condition to one day pass down to her daughter, Poppy.
Zampatti launched her first collection in 1965 after emigrating to Sydney with her family from northern Italy in 1950.
She said: ‘I’ll hold on to my ”Carla’s” for my Poppy and hope they bring her as much confidence, power and joy as they did her mum.
‘Thank you Carla, for the class and confidence your creations gave my mum, me and generations of Australian women. Forever a fan, we will miss you dearly.’
Burgess is among a bevy of mourning celebrities honouring Zampatti and her incredible success in the wake of her death.
Sam Armytage shared a photograph from her 2020 wedding to husband Richard Lavender, revealing her classy high-neck satin dress was a Carla Zampatti original.
‘Absolutely devastated at the loss of my beautiful friend Carla Zampatti this morning. She was a creative genius, a wonderful generous elegant woman & very much a part of many of my favourite memories,’ Armytage wrote.
‘She will be dearly missed, but never forgotten. And will live on forever in my heart, & my wardrobe.’
Former Victoria’s Secret angels Miranda Kerr (left) and Shanina Shaik (right) are both fans of the late iconic Australian fashion designer
Julie Bishop dazzled in this Carla Zampatti dress during fashion week in 2019
Princess Mary of Denmark wore a dusty pink floor length Carla Zampatti gown for an official royal portrait in 2015 alongside her husband Prince Frederik.
The Australian princess is not the only royal who adores the Australian designer’s clothing.
Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York and ex-wife to Prince Andrew, was spotted in a zebra print Zampatti blazer during an official engagement.
Former Prime Minister Julia Gillard wore the same piece in 2016.
Julie Bishop, the former deputy leader of the Liberal Party and Minister for Foreign Affairs shared a moving tribute to Zampatti in the wake of her death, revealing she often wore the fashion icon’s clothes both in professional and personal settings.
‘Carla Zampatti was a truly great Australian who inspired generations of women with her style, grace and determination,’ Bishop said on Saturday while sharing pictures of herself with Zampatti on several occasions.
‘She was in a class of her own. It was a privilege to call her a friend.’
Zampatti, 78, tragically died a week after falling down stairs while attending the opening night of Verdi’s La Traviata opera on Sydney Harbour. She is pictured at the event
Armytage farewelled Zampatti and shared several pictures of herself wearing other Carla Zampatti designs
Tribute: Phoebe Burgess (pictured) has paid tribute to Carla Zampatti after her death at age 78 on Saturday. The influencer, 31, posted two photos to Instagram showing off her favourite piece by the designer – a red top with puffed sleeves
Princess Mary of Denmark wore a dusty pink floor length Carla Zampatti gown for an official royal portrait in 2015 alongside her husband Prince Frederik
Former Victoria’s Secret angel and model Miranda Kerr has been pictured several times in Zampatti designs – both on the runway and on red carpets.
The mother-of-three has been wearing Zampatti clothes since she was a teenager, describing a soft blue chiffon floor length gown she wore to the 2015 Women of Style Awards as her favourite.
Fellow Victoria’s Secret model Shanina Shaik has also been pictured in her designs.
Margarita Marambio, who has worked in sales for Zampatti for 15 years, told the Sydney Morning Herald customers were marking the ‘end of an era’ by securing some of the final pieces the brand released while Zampatti was still alive.
Customers cried and laughed as they recalled their favourite Zampatti stories while making the purchases on Saturday and Sunday, Ms Marambio said.
Her latest collection will forever be remembered as the last line released prior to her tragic death, which could contribute to skyrocketing resale prices in the years and decades to come.
Zampatti will be given a state funeral to recognise her enormous contribution to the Australian fashion industry.
In a statement on Sunday, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian described the designer as ‘talented, generous and inspiring. A true trailblazer in every respect’.
