The Australian fashion world has lost one of its brightest talents with the passing of the acclaimed designer Aurelio Costarella. Aurelio passed away on April 19, 2025, at the age of 60, after a battle with Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease — a rare, incurable and rapidly progressing brain disorder that also claimed the life of his sister, Gracie.
Born in Perth, Western Australia, to Sicilian parents, his heritage deeply informed his romantic sensibility and dedication to craftsmanship. He launched his eponymous label in the 1980s and swiftly carved out a unique space in Australian fashion.
Across decades, his designs graced catwalks from Sydney to New York, beloved for their sculptural silhouettes, intricate beading, and luxurious fabrics, reflected both an old-world elegance and a modern sensibility. Each piece told a story.
International celebrities such as Rihanna, Dita Von Teese and Eva Mendes wore his designs, but it was his work with Queen Mary that captured something uniquely Australian — the intersection of homegrown talent and regal refinement.
We were honoured to feature one of his most iconic designs as part of The Australian Women’s Weekly‘s 90th anniversary exhibition, 90 Years of an Australian Icon, at the Bendigo Art Gallery in 2023. The gown, worn by then-Crown Princess Mary of Denmark on the cover of the 80th Birthday Special Issue, became a centrepiece of the exhibition.
Aurelio himself attended the opening of the exhibition and spoke with us about the design. Gracious and reflective, he shared insights into his creative process and the significance of dressing someone he so admired.
“Well, apart from it being exciting to see it again after all these years, I actually remember the moment of being with her in the studio as I spent weeks hand-stitching it all on a stand”, Aurelio said to us at the time. “So I draped it and pinned it and stitched all the layers, so I got to know it quite intimately…It’s really lovely to see it again after all this time.”
But behind the glamour, Costarella was deeply human — a gentle soul who spoke candidly about the mental health struggles that shadowed his success. In 2017, Aurelio made the difficult decision to step away from the fashion world. His decision was met with widespread empathy, and his honesty sparked important conversations about the pressures of creative industries and the importance of care for self and for others.
He leaves behind a legacy stitched with love, emotion and elegance. Vale Aurelio.
