Thirty-five years ago, a 19-year-old Claudia Karvan was wandering through Sydney’s Paddington markets when she stumbled upon the stall for a fledgling Australian label, started by two sisters who were only a few years older than she was.
“They were just cool young sisters,” Karvan recalls. “The clothes had great structure, silhouettes and good colour palettes.”
Those sisters were Nicky and Simone Zimmermann. Their eponymous label, which started with that humble market stall, would come to be one of Australian fashion’s great success stories, taking them from Paddington to Paris with a company valued at over US$1 billion ($1.43 billion) in 2024. Karvan, meanwhile, has become one of the country’s most celebrated actors.
That personal resonance will be captured on Sunday, when the now-54-year-old will walk the Logies red carpet wearing Zimmermann’s Valiant maxi dress. The teal look made from silk satin chiffon debuted on their Fall 2026 runway during Paris Fashion Week in March.
“It’s sort of classic, but there’s a little bit of a bohemian flow to it, there’s a bit of drama, a bit of theatre to it,” says Karvan, who’s celebrating her 13th Logie nomination with the best supporting actress in a drama nod for her role in the SBS miniseries Homebodies.
“It doesn’t have a train, so I don’t have to worry about people stepping on it all night, and I definitely don’t have to worry about any wardrobe malfunctions.”
The actor says she’s learnt to keep things stylish yet secure at big events after a photographer captured a wardrobe mishap at the 2010 Logies – “it was a shame but a good lesson” – and often forgoes a stylist in favour of sourcing looks herself.
“I love using stylists sometimes, but they can get into your head and slightly hijack how you might want to present yourself,” she says.
Her chosen gown was one of 10 or 15 Karvan considered ahead of the awards night, though after countless red carpets, she knows what she likes – and what she doesn’t.
Karvan laughs as she recalls one option she tried on: “It was literally half a dress. A full arm, shoulder, half a back and an entire leg is out of this dress. Like, where’d the dress go?”
Over the years, Karvan’s style has eschewed the typical Logie attendee’s fondness for sparkle, with a preference for vintage finds or local designers like Anna Cordell and Romance Was Born.
“She’s exciting because she always does something different,” says fashion stylist Donny Gallela, who calls her decision to wear Zimmermann this year “a match made in heaven”.
“She’s not scared to stand out, have some fun. She’s a real creative soul and loves supporting Aussie designers.”
Karvan says this year’s awards hold a special significance due to the indie Homebodies getting recognised, and her close friend Deborah Mailman being inducted in the Logies Hall of Fame. “The whole night will be about her and just celebrating her,” Karvan says. “I’m so excited.”
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