"In womenswear it’s necessary that leadership reflects the lens of women" Interview with Nicky and Simone Zimmermann

The Cruise 2026 collection by Zimmermann is titled Twisted Romance, and the name itself opens up a whole world to explore. Pirate nostalgia meets modern and theatrical elegance in the vision of Nicky Zimmermann, the creative director of the Australian fashion house. The inspirations are many: ranging from the Treasure Island to vintage cartographic prints, blending literary and visual influences. It’s no coincidence that the show was held in Mykonos. The result of the dialogue between land and water, and sky and sea? A wardrobe that floats from the fantastical to the everyday, featuring denim corsets, maritime brocades, seaweed skirts, shell sleeves, lace, and bold tailored structures. In this vision, dressing becomes an act of romantic and rebellious escapism. In this context, we interviewed Nicky and Simone Zimmermann, who shared with us their perspective not only on the collection but also on the brand, which continues to move between past and future, inspiration and a strong aspiration that never stops despite all the achievements.

Interview with Nicky and Simone Zimmermann

Zimmermann was born in 1991 from a deeply personal and creative vision. Do you remember the moment you realized you were building something truly different within the Australian fashion landscape?

NZ: For our runway show at the first Australian Fashion Week in 1996, I decided I wanted to introduce swimwear with our Ready-to-Wear on the runway. No one else was doing it at the time, and it felt like something we could bring to the international market that was distinctly Australian in spirit – while also being something that we really loved doing and reflected our lifestyle. We’ve always had a "let’s give it a go" attitude, which I think set us on a unique path from the beginning. 

From Sydney to the global runway circuit, how have you managed to maintain such a strong and recognizable identity in an increasingly competitive and international market?

SZ: Our focus has always been on doing what we love and what’s true to us – it’s allowed us to build a really distinct identity as a brand almost by accident. I grew up in Sydney, I had an Australian upbringing, living Australian summers – it changes the way you view the world. And it has had a huge influence on my creative lens and dressing. Starting a brand so far from the traditional fashion centres has had challenges for sure but it’s also been a blessing that I’ve embraced.

What kind of leadership do you strive to embody as women in the luxury industry? And what does it mean for you to create inclusive and empowering spaces for other women?

NZ: We’re proud to be women founders of our brand and I’m proud to be a woman Creative Director. And we’re so lucky to be surrounded by so many strong women every day in our creative process and in our business more generally. We are focused on creating collections for women that they love, and have an emotional connection to – that’s what I know and what I’m interested in. We have a wonderful and diverse team to create and deliver that vision and we love to have a laugh and enjoy ourselves – we’re all doing what we love, so it makes sense to have fun while doing it. At the same time, we work extremely hard, and it’s a very fast-paced environment, so I empower my team to be assertive, be able to make confident decisions, and to own their mistakes and move on. 

Does fashion still need more female leadership at the top? What changes would you love to see in the next decade?

NZ: Yes, of course it does. In womenswear in particular it’s necessary that leadership reflects the lens of women. It’s something we actively champion not only because it’s creatively considered and powerful, but it also makes good business sense. Clearly there is the demand for greater female representation among peers across the industry, but also clients. The next generation is already making significant moves in this direction, so I’m optimistic that we’ll see meaningful progress industry-wide in the not so distant future.

The Cruise 2026 collection evokes lush gardens and nostalgic tropical escapes. How did this visual story take shape, and what mood or message were you hoping to convey?

NZ: I was inspired by nostalgic pirate adventures and the flamboyance of the New Romantics. We interpreted this through fluid fabrics, dynamic shapes and prints that nod to that world – scaled-up map prints and nautical stripes. It’s about adventure, which goes hand in hand with the carefree attitude Cruise should have – it’s playful, but also super wearable. 

The silhouettes seem to play between memory and projection, past and future, beach and runway. How do you balance these elements in your design process?

NZ: We are usually drawing on themes from the past, so our job is to take that into the future through our choice of silhouette, fabric, colour, and texture. That balance often comes from unexpected pairings. For Cruise, we’ve taken Ready-to-Wear silhouettes into our denim, and paired incredibly detailed printed dresses with statement, slouchy boots – it creates the perfect harmony. 

Your collections always seem to strike a harmony between precise tailoring and a sense of ease. Where do you draw the line between control and creative instinct?

NZ: Achieving that balance is one of our biggest goals - there has to be a tension in opposites to ground the collection. We want our clients to enjoy themselves when they wear Zimmermann, to move with ease, and to have fun - but it’s equally as important that we offer empowering suiting and outerwear, alongside tailored everyday denim. The same level of creativity and control goes into everything we do: our attention to detail runs through every piece.  

If you could imagine Zimmermann ten years from now, what would you want to remain unchanged and what would you like to evolve?

SZ: We want to maintain our core Zimmermann identity: our diverse expressions of femininity, our sense of fun and playfulness, that sense of escapism that Zimmermann embodies and of course, our unique connection to our home in Australia. If we can keeping finding new and unique ways to bring to life new and unique collections, and wonderful life experiences to our clients around the world, I think we would be very happy.