Aussie, designer, and lover of colors and prints, Nicky Zimmermann is the femme behind the mega successful swimwear and ready-to-wear line Zimmermann. From her tips to finding the perfect bathing suit and fab shopping areas in Australia to her upcoming collections and more, Nicky breaks down her story to Style Solutions.
S: Backstory, please!
N: Zimmermann actually started as a ready-to-wear label in Sydney and the swim came later on. When we started doing swim, it wasn’t something that designers really did so much–fashion swim as a complete collection. There were the traditional swim brands and then there was this gap. Being from Sydney, it was a very natural thing for me do.
S: I love your use of fabrics and colors. Where do you gather inspiration?
N: Inspiration comes from everywhere. Because I work with so much color and print, I’m always looking for new artwork that has a point of difference and that I love. I also get a lot of inspiration from where I’m from. I design for the girl that’s right outside my front door in Sydney, around the beaches in Tamarama or in Bondi.
S: Where are some of your favorite places to shop in Australia?
N: Glenmore Road in Paddington has a nice mix of Australian designers. It’s also a bit of a spiritual home for Zimmermann-it’s near where I studied fashion at college and where we first started selling at the Paddington Markets.
S: Are you into any water activities?
N: Not really! I’m a relaxer…I like a good pool and a good book!
S: What’s a Style Solutions tip for someone hunting for the “perfect” bathing suit?
N: For me, swimsuits shouldn’t be looked at any differently to how you put together the other parts of your wardrobe. You should just buy something that you love, that makes you feel good and fits in with your personal style. You want to work out styles that work for you in terms of fit and it’s always a good idea to take a lot of styles to the changing room because it can be surprising what works best.
S: Speaking of personal style…what’s yours?
N: I’m more classic, but I like to find my own quirks.
S: What will we see in your upcoming swim collections?
N: For resort swim, the collection is more athletic and a bit sporty. The styles are clean and sophisticated. I love the simple scoop bikini in our geo print and the one shoulder style we’ve done in the textural snake print.
S: 3 words that describe your fall ready-to-wear collection are:
N: Fresh, textural and contradictory.
S: What’s up and coming for Zimmermann?
N: We’ve been spending a lot more time in New York and LA since we opened our stores in both cities over the last 12 months. We’ve just launched our US online store in the last month, and I’m coming back to New York to present Spring/Summer in September. And, we have lots of fun things happening at home in Australia that lead up to our summer. Very busy!
