Zimmermann is renowned worldwide for its carefree elegance; the Australian House marries Sydney's laid-back beach attitude with elevated silhouettes, making its pieces must-haves for any holiday wardrobe. This summer, Zimmermann has collaborated with luxury e-tailer MyTheresa for the second time to create the vacation capsule of dreams. Think: easy fabrics, tropical prints and chic swimwear. "With summer around the corner, this exclusive capsule collection was designed with a sense of escapism in in mind," says Nicky Zimmermann. Here, the founder exclusively talks to MOJEH about the creative process behind the capsule collection.
You created your second exclusive capsule collection for Mytheresa. How did this collection come about?We love working on projects like this – our first capsule with My Theresa was really well received and so the chance to create another fun and holiday focused collection was something we were excited to do.
What is the story behind this capsule and what were the main inspirations?This collection was a way to further explore and expand upon some of the key looks from our Summer Swim collection. The collection is vibrant and designed with holiday wear in mind, though I wanted the pieces in the capsule to offer longevity and versatility. You can wear one of the one-piece swimsuits all day whilst lounging poolside, and then throw a beautiful skirt and jewellery on top and head off to a sunset dinner. The collection is very much centred around that “holiday” frame of mind – lots of cotton voile, drapey linens, ramie and lightweight silks and cotton, with bright and uplifting colours and patterns for languid summer days.
In terms of our artwork and key prints, inspiration really comes from everywhere – often personal experiences and memories are a starting point for me when putting together a collection and it’s about finding a direction that embodies those ideas and creating into them. A lot of our prints are romantic and there’s often botanical references – but sometimes it’s what we create around those ideas, be it something more graphic or how art is placed on the garment, that brings it all together.
What is the stand-out element of this collection and which one is your favorite look?I love the Vacay Tiered Billow Midi Dress – I live in breezy cotton dresses over the summer... and this one exudes a fun-spirited energy though is slightly understated at the same time. I really love to put on a beautiful print dress and accessorise with jewellery while I’m on holiday – lots and lots of jewellery!
What makes the perfect swimsuit for you?Swimwear needs to be well-made and functional, but also flattering and comfortable for the wearer. A really well-cut one piece that is practical – but also beautiful – is always a winner. They’re also easy to wear in that you can pair them with a skirt and hat after a day poolside and head to lunch... and look effortless yet put together all at once.
I guess we’ve evolved together along the way to some extend – as we’ve explored new creative ideas that women has been happy to try new things too. At the same time, the intrinsic brand values and attitudes and philosophy that were there on a day one are still there to today so that’s been important. I think we’ve always kept essence of who we are, and I think this is what our clients love. Obviously, our offering has grown, and we’ve expanded our collections but we still carry the same values as we did the day we started. We’ve always stayed true to our own vision and that’s worked for us.
How was it to build a brand far from the established fashion capitals? Is the Australian heritage still playing a central role in your collections today?Absolutely. Our brand is Australian at its core and that’s had a big influence on everything we do. The way of life is so relaxed and optimistic – growing up and living in Sydney is all I’ve ever known – so these characteristics have really shaped the way I think about dressing.
Stay true to your personal vision and be prepared to work really hard and to keep learning. It seems obvious but it’s so important to love the process of creating.
When I pass women in the street wearing Zimmermann it’s still such a thrill and what excites me the most. I love seeing individual interpretations of different pieces and how they are styled by different women. Equally, seeing people wearing pieces as part of milestone moments or key events is always exciting - being able to create pieces that are so evocative and attached to significant memories is really special.
If you weren’t into designing, what do you think would be your profession?It’s all I’ve ever really known but I guess it would be doing something else creative – I love being hands on, making things. The MyTheresa x Zimmermann capsule collection is available to shop online from 6 June
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