Nicky Zimmermann has been in the business for three decades and in that time has perfected her ability to connect the past with the present. Her resort 2023 collection looked to the ’50s and ’60s for inspiration; while her fall 2024 show had a touch of the ’70s. This season, she looked back to her days at design school in Sydney in the ’80s, when Molly Ringwald was Hollywood’s It girl. She reminisced about spending time at vintage stores searching for pink dresses, lace outfits, and old suits, and used that as the starting point for her collection.
While lace has been a familiar textile in many Zimmermann collections, this season she wanted to push its boundaries. “We worked with an artist on reinterpreting lace as a print so we drew little icons like lipsticks and love hearts,” the designer explained. The hand-drawn print was then taken to the computer and printed against an airy and transparent organza that created a trompe l’oeil effect when seen at a distance.
Zimmermann’s signature floral prints were present, but this time she added a leopard motif—a callback to her first collection which featured swimsuits and dresses in the bold pattern. “Leopard print works hand-in-hand with floral. It may not be something I always put in shows, but it is very much a part of the DNA of the brand,” she added. A surprising addition to the collection came in the form of sneakers, which got an elevated design treatment with the same lace fabric from the looks; the shoes added a touch of ease to all the frills and glam of the clothes.