"I love giving ordinary materials another life," she says. "Paper, cardboard, wire, lace and fabric offcuts are all incredibly humble materials, but together they can become something quite unexpected. I don't think expensive materials make interesting work. It's more about imagination and curiosity."

Many of the installations take weeks, sometimes months, to research, construct, transport and install.

What visitors experience for a season is the result of hundreds of hours spent painting, sculpting, building, refining and reworking every detail.

"I think people can feel when something has been made by hand," Carla reflects. "It carries little imperfections and decisions that couldn't be replicated by a machine. That's what makes it interesting."

Although her work travels globally, no installation is ever repeated exactly.

Each store is considered individually.

"Every space has its own personality," she says. "I never want an installation to feel copied and pasted. I like responding to the architecture, the windows, the light and even the pace of the city. The same collection can tell slightly different stories depending on where it lives."

When asked if she has a favourite project, Carla pauses.

"The giant mushrooms will always be special because they challenged me to think about scale in a completely different way. But every collection teaches me something new. That's what keeps it exciting."

Ultimately, her work isn't about creating displays.

It's about creating moments.

"I hope people feel curious," she says. "I hope something catches their eye and makes them pause for a moment. If they look a little longer than they expected, or leave wondering how something was made, then that's enough."

That quiet curiosity has become part of the Silk Laundry experience.

Long before a customer touches a garment, they've already stepped into Carla's world.

In Conversation with Carla Binotto

SL: You've been creating the visual world of Silk Laundry for many years. What excites you most about each new collection?

CB: Every collection begins differently. Sometimes it's a print, sometimes it's a colour, sometimes it's a material or something Katie has discovered while travelling. I love that no two projects are ever the same. Each one gives me permission to learn something completely new.

SL: How do you begin turning an idea into a physical installation?

CB: Research always comes first. I'll spend time looking through books, nature, museums, architecture and historical references until the collection begins to build its own visual language. From there I start making prototypes and experimenting with materials until something feels right.

SL: You've worked across so many different materials. Is there one you always come back to?

CB: I'm drawn to materials that already have a story. Cardboard, paper, recycled packaging, wire, fabric scraps... I love transforming ordinary materials into something people don't expect."

SL: The mushroom installations have become one of Silk Laundry's most iconic displays. How did they come together?

CB: Katie imagined these oversized mushrooms appearing throughout the stores. I loved the research behind the collection and the incredible diversity found in mushrooms, so I began experimenting with scale and form. Everything was built by hand using cardboard, newspaper, wire, tissue paper and layers of papier-mâché. Every mushroom developed its own personality.

SL: Every Silk Laundry store feels different. Is that intentional?

"Absolutely. Every space has its own architecture, light and atmosphere. I never want an installation to simply be copied from one store to another. Each display responds to its environment."

SL: What do you hope people feel when they walk past one of your windows?

CB: Curiosity. I hope they stop for a moment. Maybe they smile. Maybe they look twice. If someone feels drawn inside because of something unexpected they've seen in the window, then I've done my job.

SL: After so many collections, what keeps inspiring you?

CB: The opportunity to keep making. To keep experimenting. Katie always encourages me to push ideas further than I thought possible, and that's a really special way to work.