Fashion label CAMILLA gets support from Forrest

Australian billionaire private investment firm Dr Andrew ‘Twiggy’ Forrest and his wife Nicola have acquired a minority interest in Sydney-based luxury fashion brand CAMILLA in a deal estimated to be worth around $40 million.

Tattarang’s capital injection marks the first time CAMILLA has entered into an investment partnership since it was launched in 2004 by Camilla Franks at Australian Fashion Week.

Known for their signature prints and bold designs, this fashion brand is sold in 65 countries, with 22 boutiques in Australia and three in the US.

Support from Tattarang comes more than two years after the acquisition Adelaide-based shoe maker RM Williams in a deal reportedly worth $190 million.

Franks said he was pleased to welcome Tattarang as an investor and partner at CAMILLA.

“I finally found the perfect partner to help us color the world. Partnering with Nicola and the Tattarang family is the perfect brand for our vision of the future,” said Franks.

“Through purposeful storytelling, creative and conscious empowerment, and shared values ​​and dreams, we can take this business to a wider world stage.

Together, we can uplift women on a global scale, tap into the incredible artistic talent Australia has to offer, and lead with passion.”

As part of its philanthropic work, CAMILLA is currently directing funds towards The Hunger Project’s Elected Women’s Representative Program – a project that helps educate women in northern India after they win council seats in the state of Rajasthan, where 50 per cent of the seats go to females.

It comes five years after the brand partnered with the same charity to help 1,000 girls living in Bihar, North India improve their lives and learn their rights through education.

The project ended 578 child marriages and helped 311 girls re-enroll in school between 2018-2020. It also saw 92 percent of girls remain unmarried through the Adolescent Girls program.

CAMILLA also has a donations arm, which pledges $20,000 to a Cairns-based coral reef research and conservation charity Inhabitant from Great Barrier Reef (GBR) and $50,000 for eight different charities helping Australians affected by bushfires.

The company’s swimwear range is made using Econyl – an Italian textile made from recycled materials taken from the sea to make nylon. Additionally, the brand’s polyester board shorts are made from post-consumer waste.

Nicola Forrest says she is actively working to level the playing field for women entrepreneurs and businesses led or founded by women, with Tattarang allocating capital both directly and through early-stage women-focused funds.

“It’s time for change: I believe that greater equality and having gender as a focus will pay off for both women and men,” said Forrest.

“This is good for business because there is a strong correlation between gender equality and organizational success across profitability, attractiveness and retention of top talent and business reputation.

“We will support the next generation of businesswomen who are willing to take risks and support their dreams — Australia needs more entrepreneurs like Camilla Franks.”