20 Years of MANNING CARTELL:
A Reflection From the Founders
This year marks 20 years since the launch of MANNING CARTELL — three sisters united by a shared vision to create clothing that celebrates strength, style, and the modern female spirit.
What began in 2005 as a dream to design with purpose and craft without compromise has grown into a brand that resonates with women across the world. Over two decades, we’ve navigated industry shifts, embraced digital transformation, and opened thoughtfully curated boutiques that have become spaces to share our story. From the very beginning, our commitment has been to create garments that inspire confidence, self-expression, and connection, and that purpose continues to guide us today.
Family at the Heart
Running a business as sisters has been one of our greatest challenges and greatest joys. We experience the same highs and lows together, and that has created a unifying bond that few other partnerships could match. Hard work is constant, even during personal and professional challenges, yet the commitment to never giving up on family is strong and innate. It guides everything we do: running the business and building the team.
Strong intuition has always shaped our path. We follow our instincts rather than forcing directions that don’t feel right. The brand has grown organically, with ambition balanced by authenticity, we take risks only when they align with our values and our vision. When we’ve gone against that instinct, it simply hasn’t worked. Those experiences have reinforced the importance of staying true to the brand: success comes from intuition, while forcing a disconnected direction becomes a learning opportunity.
We are always evolving and learning, staying curious and open to new ideas. This mindset has been key to remaining relevant and continuing to grow, both as businesswomen and as sisters. There is a visceral, emotional connection within our team and with our customers. Often, someone will share, “I wore your dress to my school formal,” or, “My best friend dressed her bridesmaids in MANNING CARTELL.” Those moments make the work feel deeply meaningful and remind us why we do what we do.
Celebrating Our Heritage
Our 20 Year Limited Edition Collection is a love letter to this journey. Drawing from our archives, we revived beloved silhouettes and heritage fabrics, reinterpreting them through a modern lens. Seventeen iconic looks have been reimagined, pieces once worn by global tastemakers on red carpets, runways, and social media. From the ethereal Sheer Bliss Dress made famous by Hailey Bieber to the backless Precious Metal Mini worn by Kylie Jenner, these designs carry the imprint of our past while speaking to the present. Each piece was proudly made in Australia, many by the same makers who crafted our earliest designs, a testament to the craftsmanship and enduring style that have always been at the heart of MANNING CARTELL.
Looking Ahead
While this milestone is a celebration, it is also a renewal. We see these 20 years not as an endpoint, but as a springboard into the future — a chance to honour our legacy while embracing new opportunities for growth, responsibility, and creativity. We remain rooted in our Australian heritage, but we are looking outward with curiosity and ambition. The next chapter for MANNING CARTELL is about continuing to evolve, championing responsible design, expanding our global presence, and finding new ways to connect with women everywhere.
As part of our anniversary, we took MANNING CARTELL to New York City, a place of ambition, freedom, and reinvention. It felt like the perfect backdrop to reflect on how far we’ve come, and to spark our imagination for what comes next.
Here’s to the past two decades and to the future we are creating, together.
With love, Cheryl, Vanessa & Gabrielle Manning
Founders of MANNING CARTELL
