Phoebe Burgess pays tribute to Carla Zampatti and will keep the designer’s pieces for her daughter

Phoebe Burgess 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 pieces by the designer – a red top with puffed sleeves and white pants. 

She wrote: ‘We all have a “Carla” moment. I remember watching my own mother get dressed up for balls or functions – her favourite pieces were always a ‘Carla’. 

‘My mum would call the pieces; ‘my Carla shirt’, ‘the Carla wrap’ ‘my white Carlas’ (for her favourite pant). And then when I began my own little career, I invested in ‘Carla’ pieces for my growing wardrobe for the real world, beyond university. 

‘A Carla Zampatti piece has always been synonymous with timeless dressing, confidence and presence, bold moments paired with the classics (see red top). 

‘Her beautiful lines famously transcended seasons and trends, and so too will her legacy as her label lives on in our wardrobes.’ 

Phoebe added that she will hold onto the outfits for when her daughter, Poppy, four, grows up.  

‘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.’     

Carla tragically died a week after falling down stairs while attending the opening night of the La Traviata opera on Sydney Harbour. 

She was knocked unconscious after falling on the bottom steps of the staircase and was then rushed to hospital, but couldn’t be saved.   

Carla’s daughter Bianca was one of the first to share her gut-wrenching tribute after her mother’s death on Saturday. 

‘Today I lost my mother, my inspiration, my mentor and my friend,’ fashion designer Bianca wrote alongside two family photos on Instagram. ‘I am lost for words and totally heartbroken.’