Sydney’s most recognisable splash of colour is about to vanish.
Camilla’s famed kaftan boutique on Military Road in Mosman is shutting up shop after more than a decade, with its coveted shopfront quietly hitting the leasing market.
The closure of the blue‑chip site has locals buzzing about what could replace it and underscores the mounting pressure bricks‑and‑mortar retailers face as e‑commerce heavyweights squeeze Australia’s shopping strips.
Word of the exit first surfaced in the Mosman Living Facebook group, urging shoppers to “grab your kaftans while you can” as the space hit the market.
The post lit up with regulars reminiscing about the pre‑holiday dash for resort wear and pitching wish‑lists for the next tenant – from a chocolate shop to “anything but another chemist”.
RELATED
Revealed: How Chinese retailers are crushing Australia’s shopping giants
Australian fashion label Sass & Bide shuts all stores in shock move
Dramatic blow for Gen Z’s favourite stationery brand
The Camilla boutique on Military Road, known for its vibrant silk kaftans and bohemian resort wear, is preparing to close after more than a decade in the suburb. Source: Facebook.
Founder Camilla Franks meets with Opra during her recent visit to Australia. Source: Facebook.
Founded in 2004 by Camilla Franks – the “Queen of the Kaftan” – the label grew from a stage costume side hustle into a global brand renowned for hand‑embellished, travel‑inspired prints and bold colour.
Its breakthrough came when David Jones picked up the first collection, and by early 2025 Camilla operated 24 stand-alone Australian boutiques alongside department‑store concessions, plus stores offshore.
But before launching her now multimillion-dollar label, the Sydney creative worked in advertising and television production before pursuing acting on stage.
News of the store’s closure surfaced in a post shared to the popular Mosman Living Facebook group. Source: Facebook
The Camilla label was founded in 2004. Source: Facebook.
She also appeared on a number of TV shows, including Project Runway Australia, The Celebrity Apprentice Australia and Australia’s Next Top Model, making her a household name.
“I got into acting, and my acting days were the platform to the Camilla days,” Franks previously told news.com.au.
“To be brutally honest, I wasn’t a brilliant actress, but people in the fashion world coming to the show were asking me to sell them my kaftans and rehearsal gear.”
Fashion’s retreat from the shopping strip gathers pace
While Mosman’s doors are closing, the label is still investing in other fashion hubs across Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and overseas.
But for Military Road, the departure is a property story as much as a fashion one as it lands amid a wider shake‑up hitting fashion precincts nationwide.
Cult Australian brand Sass & Bide stunned fans by confirming all stand‑alone stores and department‑store concessions would close by the end of January, with online sales ending in February, as the label pivots to win back younger shoppers.
Fashion ginat H&M was also forced to shut its Queen Street Mall flagship in September last year.
Fashion giant H&M shut its Queen Street Mall flagship in September after a 10‑year run, with industry reports noting profits under pressure and a shrinking global store network.
Outdoor stalwarts Rip Curl and Kathmandu announced at least 14 store closures in late 2025 after parent KMD posted a $105 million annual loss, while the Accent Group is shuttering 17 Glue Stores and chains including Ally Fashion and SurfStitch are winding back bricks‑and‑mortar footprints.
The common thread: a fierce online onslaught that’s rewiring how Australians shop.
Temu and Shein rewrite the rules of Aussie retail
A recent Omnisend survey of 1000 Australians found 76.6 per cent bought from a Chinese marketplace in 2025, up from 70 per cent in 2024.
More than half use multiple platforms, and nearly 15 per cent shop them weekly – equating to more than four million people nationally tapping Temu, Shein and others each week.
Temu’s rise has been especially sharp.
In 2025, 63.1 per cent of Australians said they’d shopped there, up from 51.7 per cent the year prior, making it the country’s second most‑visited shopping site behind Amazon, according to Omnisend.
The closure of retail stores is largely blamed on e-commerce.
Shein is now the second most‑visited fashion site after The Iconic, with 46.9 per cent of Australians shopping there in 2025, while AliExpress and TikTok Shop are also surging.
E‑commerce experts say it’s not just about dirt‑cheap pricing.
The habit is shifting from occasional bargains to monthly and weekly rhythms, resetting expectations on convenience and selection.
That raises the bar for physical retailers, particularly those exposed to high rents on trophy strips – even in affluent catchments like Mosman.
Still, it’s not all doom and gloom for landlords or labels.
Analysts argue local brands can win by doubling down on speed, service and trust – think same‑day fulfilment, in‑store experiences and tight edit assortments – while owners of A‑grade sites can re‑tenant quickly with operators who draw dependable foot traffic.
For now, Mosman’s fashion fans are bracing for the end of an era.