Overview

• Costarella's death was announced on April 19, 2025, following his short but courageous battle with Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, a rare and incurable brain illness.
• The Perth-born designer was celebrated for his dramatic creations, which graced runways in New York, London, Paris, and Australia, and were worn by celebrities like Rihanna, Charlize Theron, and Julia Gillard.
• He was the first Western Australian designer to showcase at New York Fashion Week in 2006 and was inducted into the Design Institute of Australia Hall of Fame in 2016.
• Costarella was a passionate mental health advocate, sharing his personal struggles with depression and anxiety in 2015 and serving as a Lifeline WA ambassador for over a decade.
• Peers, celebrities, and institutions have honored him as a humanitarian and creative visionary, with tributes highlighting his empathy, generosity, and lasting impact on fashion and mental health awareness.