Zampatti Powerhouse at MAAS: An Exhibition Review
Empowering silhouettes and daring designs - how Carla Zampatti continues to leave an enduring legacy on Australian women.
As I walk through the foyer of Sydney’s Powerhouse Museum, I am met with a soaring image of a glamorous woman. Dressed in a little black dress, dotted mesh veil and velvet gloves the lady stands contrapposto, gazing down to visitors like a larger-than-life goddess. That is how many would describe the great Carla Zampatti AO, an Italian-Australian fashion designer whose garments are on display in her very first retrospective exhibition.
Zampatti Powerhouse offers an exciting lens to recognise Australian fashion designers in a museum context and allows audiences to understand fashion in a way that is deeply personal, social and political. The phenomenon of the fashion exhibition has seen a great demand over the last few decades. According to author and curator Marie Reigls Melchoir, the strength of fashion in museums is in its public engagement, heightening the appeal of the museum and thereby giving access to new audiences. Specifically at MAAS, an institution that continues to demonstrate the significance of fashion in visual and material culture, the exhibition encourages visitors to think critically about how they connect with their own personal style. I would argue further that Zampatti Powerhouse not only contributes to Australia’s growing interest in fashion exhibitions but reinforces the importance of celebrating Australian fashion designers and their impact on our nation’s history and culture.
I was incredibly fortunate to walk through Zampatti Powerhouse with Assistant Curator Tuan Nguyen and discuss the process of developing an exhibition about an Australian icon and revolutionary businesswoman. The exhibition showcases 100 garments representing pivotal moments in Carla’s career, a combination of pieces from her estate and public crowd sourcing. Tuan explained, “she only started collecting later on in her career, so we sent out a public call-out to fill in those gaps.” From Princess Mary and Tina Arena to everyday women, each garment represents a significant element of Carla’s design oeuvre and more importantly, how her designs made women feel. Since Carla’s untimely death in 2021, this exhibition shows us that she, like the timeless pieces she created, stands the test of time.
Accompanied by her garments is an audio room with recordings of Carla’s interviews throughout the years, as well as a cinema pod including insightful testimonies by family members, business partners and mentees. An emotional and empowering display of fashion and feminism, visitors can expect to be in awe of her tailoring and attention to detail while also understanding the stories behind each garment.
Painted in her signature colours black, cream, and red, the exhibition creates an atmosphere that reflects her timeless and sophisticated aesthetic. Raised on shiny plinths, garments are divided into themes draped over towering, uniquely designed mannequins. From her earliest pieces from the 60s, her collaboration with Ford, her iconic jumpsuit silhouette and distinct power dressing, each section memorialises a key part of her legacy.
What first struck my eye was the red Ford Laser, accompanied by three gorgeous business ensembles. In 1980 Carla received the inaugural award for Australian Business Woman of the Year, a powerful statement in itself. She not only paved the way for Australian women in business but established herself as an Australian female fashion designer who had full agency of her business. This resulted in designing a car suited for the contemporary business woman, meshing style and sophistication with functionality and capability. Just like the Ford Laser, her garments of the same period reflected the 1980s working woman ethos.
The red cowl neck dress, lent by Robyn McNamee, was worn on many occasions, one being the Housing Industry Association Awards in 1985: “As well as being a statement piece it was versatile and comfortable. I could wear it during the daytime with boots or in the evening with heels.”
Moving through dazzling leopard prints and bold graphic shapes, I was captivated by the blazers and pantsuits worn by influential Australian women, from politics to the newsroom. Pieces worn by Ita Buttrose, Christine Holgate, Allegra Spender, Julie Bishop, Samantha Armytage and many others embrace the iconic Carla silhouette. From viewing these pieces it’s important to note that Carla’s blazers and pantsuits were, unlike the working girl shoulder pads of the 80s, not designed for women to equate to their male counterparts; in fact it is quite the opposite. Carla designed blazers with clean lines and rounded shoulders, adopting a similar sensibility to Gabrielle Chanel that tailors the female form. By doing so, Carla proves that power dressing does not imply masculine aesthetics but empowers the female form.
On the other end of the spectrum, the exhibition also showcases goddess-like gowns that play with the sensuality and unadorned beauty of neo-classicism. Influenced by antiquity and art history, Carla designed these gowns with a focus on drapery and form. I would say that much of her design is about oscillating between draping the female form and armouring it - bringing forward complimentary strengths within femininity.
I really could go on about every theme in this exhibition - the floral pieces that were quite a surprise diversion from Carla’s signature style and of course the dress worn by Princess Mary in her royal portrait. However what resonated with me most from this exhibition is the combination of notable women in Australian culture and everyday women - the ladies you know from your neighbourhood or community and reading their stories. Having Carla’s garments stand side by side, worn by different women, not only democratises fashion but proves Carla’s legacy spreads across all corners of the country. For visitors, these testimonies prove fashion affects us all on a deeply personal level.
In terms of formal display and dressing mannequins, these garments were styled specifically to a theme rather than replicating the individual wearer. For example a jumpsuit that was worn by Tina Arena could represent anyone. Whether it’s whimsical scarf headpieces, beaded veils or jet black wigs, the extra stylistic elements add to fashion’s commercial appeal of creating a fantasy. These details give Carla’s designs a character that could be played by any woman, and hint at the glorious storytelling that would occur on her elaborate runway presentations.
Zampatti Powerhouse is equally emotional as it is visually arresting. It is an exceptional fashion exhibition and an incredible contribution to the growing interest in fashion museology within Australia.
