Fabio Cattafi Head Designer and brain power behind trendy children’s wear lines, Zephiregeneration, has until recently, been best known for his contribution to the performing arts industry in Australia and Abroad.

While a career in fashion was always imminent for the creative Fabio, his rise to success evolved from a lifelong love of the arts and dance. It was on completion of his higher school certificate in 1990 that Fabio pleaded with his parents to leave the intellects behind so that he could enter the exciting world of dance and performance.

And so began a colorful chapter in Fabio’s life that saw him train at the Bartuccio Dance Centre before studying at Dance World 301 and the prestigious Victorian College of the Arts. What ensued was a stunning foray into the world of music and showbiz with theatre credits including The Wizard of Oz, Happy Days the Musical, Carmen, The traviata, Taunhauser, and Samson and Delilah for the Australian State Opera. Fabio’s dance ability and effervescent personality soon lead him abroad to perform in such hits as Broadway to Paris (Japan), the MacDonald's Anniversary (Tokyo), Cole Porter's Aids Benefit Concert (Los Angeles), and most recently Madame Firefly (Cairns). His television credits read like the A-list of Australia’s who’s who and includes the Logies, In Melbourne Tonight, AFI Awards, Steve Vizard Show, and Hey, Hey its Saturday, performing with such artists as Tina Arena, Deni Hines, Jo Beth Taylor and Marcia Hines, Human Nature and Jimmy Barnes. Having also choreographed for the Mercedes Fashion Week and the Victorian Aerobics Championships, Fabio is now directing and performing in his own production, ‘A Night with Tina’ playing tribute to the legendary Tina Turner.

The Fashion Connection

Fabio’s infatuation with fashion was realised at the tender age of 14, when he taught himself how to sew. A love of working with fine fabrics and being able to create new and unusual designs saw Fabio produce garments not just for him; but also for family, even classmates. In 1992 he went on to complete 2 years of Fashion Design College at the well-regarded Kangan Tafe, broadening his appreciation for garment construction and fashion illustration. It was however, Fabio’s further studies in the areas of small business management that finally motivated him to pursue a full-time career in fashion.

A self-professed perfectionist, Fabio can often be found in the sewing room at 2am in the morning, ensuring the final touches to those all-important orders. For Fabio, nothing is more important than his designs – and that means travelling to sometimes-remote destinations throughout Australia, and even the world, where he has been known to spend hours at a time, sifting through vintage mills to source rare and exquisite fabrics and fashion idea. European mills are another favorite of Fabio’s and provide him with a constant source of inspiration for new lines. Priding himself on an uncompromising commitment to quality, from concept and design through to pattern making and retailing, Fabio carefully scrutinizes every part of the process. His commitment to quality control extends to a tightly managed distribution channel, with both labels available exclusively through mail order and/or online at www.zephiregeneration.com.

The Inspiration…The Story

Fabio’s life changed on May 10, 2002 when his sister gave birth to the gorgeous Vanessa Jade who was, and continues to be, his main inspiration. Soon after Vanessa Jade’s arrival into the world, Fabio began creating a wardrobe of beautiful handmade pieces for her. Needless to say, the designs were an instant success and before he knew it, he was designing an entire range of children’s wear for family, friends and entertainment-world acquaintances - so much so that the Zephiregeneration labels were officially born. Today, Fabio manages a successful trade and enjoys a loyal and growing client base that includes celebrity babies and people from as far a field as Japan.

To all of you, from all of us at Zephire Generation - Thank you and Happy eCommerce!

Fabio Cataffi