Daughter of ‘Donna Karan of Australia’ on why she launched in Asia: ‘it is going to be the next big superpower’

Were you expected to join the family business? “After I completed my degree in commerce and design, I decided to go to Europe to find a job. My feeling was, if I could cut it in Paris, I could make it anywhere.

“I worked as an assistant designer with Martine Sitbon, until my mother asked me to come back and join her. She is known as the Donna Karan of Australia, and really rose to fame in the late 1970s and 80s by creating the working woman’s wardrobe. After four years of working on my own, I felt I could bring something new to the brand.”

What was it like working with her? “It was interesting because our core values and principles are the same but how we render them is different. She is incredibly sculptural, bold and graphic, with clothing that is very much about women’s form. I have a looseness in my designs, so you’ll always see folds or drapes in my tailoring, along with a touch of the romantic. By bringing something new to the table, we attracted a whole new customer base.”

Why did you go independent last year? “From 2004 to 2009, my designs were under the Carla Zampatti label. Little by little customers wanted to know more and see more, so we eventually launched a separate brand and did a roll-out in department stores before opening our first free-standing boutique. For the past nine years we have been growing but, 18 months ago, I decided I was ready to take it all on my own.”

What have been the biggest changes? “It’s really been about being more courageous in my aesthetic and what we stand for. First, my style has become a lot bolder. Many designers start at their boldest and then try to find a commercial reality. I did the opposite and, once I’d won my customer over, I stretched them bit by bit.