Sofia Abel is at work in her Brisbane studio, designing clothes with a sustainable focus.
The 20-year-old has already sold out her first collection, with online orders coming from as far as the US, Europe and the UK.
Sofia is proud to be achieving what most young fashion designers can only dream of.
“I'm really surprised from selling to my friends to now being worldwide, it is really amazing,” she says.
“I definitely wasn't expecting it, but I'm super happy that people are loving my designs so far.”
Sofia modelling one of her designs. Source: SBS News / Sandra Fulloon
Like many young designers, Sofia is concerned about fashion waste with more than 200,000 tonnes of clothes sent to landfill every year. By sourcing local fabrics, she is helping to reduce waste across her production process.
“I use high-quality linen, so the clothes are made to last,” she says.
“Plus, a lot of our garments are made to order, so we only produce what's needed. And we cut our garments strategically so that produces less fabric waste.”
She is also starting a hire service, which she says extends the lifetime of a garment and can reduce its carbon footprint by around 25 per cent.
Sofia was born in Bolivia’s largest city, Santa Cruz. When she was eight, and speaking little English, her family migrated to Brisbane.
Sofia as a young child in Bolivia. Source: Supplied / Sofia Abel
Sofia started her first business at the age of 12, making hair ties and simple clothes for school friends. But the inspiration to start designing women’s fashion began while visiting a clothing factory in her homeland.
“A trip to Bolivia was a real turning point. My grandmother took me to a [fashion] workplace, so I could see all of the aspects of the industry, she says.
“It was really inspiring, and I guess my passion grew from there.”
Australian fashion icon Carla Zampatti. Source: SBS News / Supplied
“Carla Zampatti was sewing from a young age as well and making everything herself. So, in those ways I do relate to her.
“I love Carla's story and I do aspire to be a great businesswoman like her.”
Last year Sofia became the inaugural winner of The Australian Multicultural Foundation Carla Zampatti Scholarship, a $10,000 annual fund set up to help young women from diverse backgrounds to achieve success in their chosen field. Sofia later interned at the company’s head office in Sydney.
"I could really see all of the aspects of running a business and you know, learn to scale. So that really taught me a few lessons there.
“From the scholarship and the internship, I've gained a lot of confidence in my brand and in myself.”
Sofia describes the past 12 months as ‘life changing’ and says she is using her new social media and website skills to boost sales.
“Initially, designing clothes was more of a side hustle, a hobby for me. Now my business has really taken off, it is something I want to do full time.”
Carla Zampatti CEO Alex Schuman. Source: SBS News / Sandra Fulloon
“Mum would be incredibly proud, because there's so much about Sofia that's like her. Apart from having a very strong aesthetic and being incredibly articulate, Sofia is also very driven and entrepreneurial.
“If mum was around, she absolutely would be thrilled to meet Sofia, and to encourage her to continue breaking down those barriers that many women and migrants face.”
Ms Zampatti was a multicultural icon in Australia’s fashion industry and died aged 78 in 2021. Her three children Alex Schuman and Allegra and Bianca Spender are proud to carry on her legacy.
“As a family we support the empowerment of women, because we know how much hardship and adversity particularly migrant women have to overcome,” Mr Schuman says.
Carla Zampatti staff sewing clothing in Sydney. Source: SBS News / Sandra Fulloon
“It is almost inconceivable to think of the hardships that women of my mother's generation faced," he says.
“She established a business in 1965, while she was pregnant [with me]. She and my father separated in 1970 and with a newborn baby, she could not get any bank finance at all.
“At the time banks were reluctant to lend to women, least of all divorced women with a with a newborn child.”
Fashion designer Carla Zampatti. Source: AAP / Georges Antoni/PR IMAGE
“And that really put her on the map. It was also her proudest achievement,” Mr Schuman says.
More than 40 years later, the Carla Zampatti label remains at the forefront of the Australian fashion industry, and is one of few family businesses still manufacturing locally.
Mr Schuman is proud to keep her legacy alive and of his diverse team, especially chief pattern maker Trung Nam Do, who arrived in Australia from Vietnam in 1987, and worked alongside Ms Zampatti for 22 years.
Chief pattern maker Trung Nam Do. Credit: SBS / Sandra Fulloon
“But I also learned a lot from Carla Zampatti.
“She started very early and she loved fashion. She loved the clothes, and me too.”
Applications now are open for The Australian Multicultural Foundation Carla Zampatti Scholarship. Sofia Abel urges other young entrepreneurs to apply, to help take their business to the next level.
Designer Sofia Abel modelling her own clothing. Source: SBS News / Sandra Fulloon
“The financial support has really helped my brand, allowing me to put my vision into garments.
“And I hope a lot of other young women can fulfil their dreams through this scholarship, too.”
The Australian Multicultural Foundation Carla Zampatti Scholarship for Young Women provides young women from new and emerging communities, who reside in Australia, a $10,000 Scholarship to achieve their aspirations and goals in life where there may be barriers or disadvantages to achieving these goals. For more information on the Scholarship eligibility, and how to enter, please .
