My Expat Life – Italy: Knitwear entrepreneur chasing La Dolce Vita

Charlotte Ludwig has wanted to live in Italy since she was 18. (Image: Supplied/NZME)

Sun, 30 Nov 2025

When Charlotte Ludwig turned 31 this winter, she decided it was now or never.“I’d wanted to live in Italy ever since I was 18,” she says. “After a certain age, you start to have different priorities, and I thought, okay, if I don’t do it now, I’m probably never going to.”The Gisborne-born fashion designer quit her Auckland job, put everything in storage and booked a one-way ticket to Europe.Kiwi fibreLudwig is the founder of the ethical luxury knitwear label CHARLY and works as a digital marketing merch...

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