Move Over Isabel Marant, Zimmermann Is the New Boho Designer
To succeed in fashion, you can’t just be a rule-breaker—you have to turn “bad” things into traits everyone wants. Kate Moss was scrawny; Coco Chanel wore sweatpants; Miuccia Prada started her empire with a roll of military-grade waterproof nylon.
Enter Zimmermann, the Australian label that’s largely ignored rules like “no cotton in winter,” “don’t mix too many prints,” and “short girls can’t wear long dresses.” At Zimmermann, they can and they do.
“We’re truly one of those labels that had to start because nobody was making what we wanted,” says Nicky Zimmerman, who’s helmed the line with her sister Simone since 1991. “And we were lucky—there wasn’t a lot of the cool Australian girl point-of-view on the market, and girls around the world really got what we were doing right away. New York girls were our fans right from the start.”
Zimmermann’s casting models and doing fittings on the day I visit, with a row of stylists and seamstresses stationed in a Chelsea loft. As tall girls stomp by in frilled skirts and wool sweaters, it’s hard to tell whether they’re dressed for Spring or Fall. “That’s because trans-seasonal collections help you have no specific rules,” Zimmermann explains. “I mean, when you go out, you think, I want a great dress and a great pair of jeans. You’re not thinking of seasons, you’re thinking, do I love it? You get a great coat, you pull it over your dress, and you’re done.” Only recently has most of the fashion world realized that, which might be why, despite their relatively low profile, the line’s dresses routinely sell out on Net-a-Porter, Barneys and Saks.
“It’s mostly just regular, cool girls who come into our stores,” Zimmermann says, though she admits a few celebrities do help move the flouncy, layered needle. “When we had the Duchess of Cambridge come to Australia, she wore one of our dresses. And there was a ridiculous reaction to that. It was crazy. And there’s a definite Gigi and Kendall effect,” she confirms. “If they wear it, they will sell it. There’s a reason other brands pay them to wear things—I mean, we don’t pay anyone! We’re just glad they like our vibe.”
So many girls like the vibe, in fact, that noticeable knockoffs have started hitting fast-fashion chains… and even some New York Fashion Week runways that we’re too polite to name-drop. “It’s annoying,” Zimmermann admits. “Particularly when you work really hard on something. Sometimes it’s even our [extra] fabric they’ve bought as well! We’re always moving forward, so if someone wants to copy us, they’re already behind, in a sense, but still. You never feel happy about [getting copied], but it’s not our style to start any feuds.”
But it is their style to layer dresses with jeans and leather and lace, especially this season. So here are the golden rules from Zimmermann herself: “Start with super fine cashmere. Don’t gain any bulk. Pick something that makes your arms long and lean. Then pay attention to proportion… you don’t want anything dragging on the floor or going over your wrists, unless that’s really what you’re going for—a pushed-up, too-big sleeve… go ahead and get your pants and dresses hemmed, and your sleeves taken in, if you have to. It’s a pain, but it does make a big difference.” Also: “However you want to wear our stuff, just make sure you’re having a really good time.”
Noted. Anyway, isn’t that what Zimmermann’s eyelet lace and floral prints and slashed denim and thigh-high rock groupie boots are for?
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