What it’s really like to stage a mega-fashion show in Paris
Only weeks after Zimmermann became Australia’s first fashion unicorn, with a private equity firm paying a reported $1.75 billion for a majority stake in the label, founders Nicky and Simone Zimmermann were in the French capital showing their spring/summer 2024 collection. Creative director Nicky shares the highs and lows of getting everything runway-ready.
By Dave Tacon
This story is part of the December 2 Edition of Good Weekend.See all 19 stories.
September 30, 2023, Zimmermann studio, 2nd Arrondissement, Paris, France
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This is me with Linh Nguyen, senior design director, ready-to-wear. Linh’s worked with me on two shows in Sydney, all through New York Fashion Week, and now, in Paris. When the model comes in, we all start working. We’re under pressure, doing it quickly, while also trying to get it right. We might go, “Well, we thought this was going to be a long dress, but let’s pin it up and see if it looks better as a three-quarter midi-dress.” For this show, we had 48 looks. If I’m lucky, I’ve got maybe 30 to 40 minutes with each girl. We’re doing a million things, watching them walk, putting on the jewellery, working out the shoe. Another person will take notes and it will be sent downstairs to the alterations room, which is a really busy hub of people hand-sewing.
Shooting style
Order of the day
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She’s got the look
Final adjustments
October 2, 2023, Palais de Tokyo, Paris
Finishing touches
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Stepping out
Front-row seats
Light moves
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Feels like team spirit
It’s fun to create something that’s beautiful and joyous, and that is very much what the show’s about. There’s that excitement and jubilation and adrenaline – for the girls coming off the runway as well as for us backstage. You can tell a lot about how it went by how the girls come back – the mood and the reaction in the room. For me, it’s immediate relief and definitely excitement. And I’m really excited for my team.
It’s a massive achievement, putting all of this together. At any point in time, anything can happen: the music can stop, a girl can trip, a strap can fall off. We’re sort of going, “Yes, we did it!” It’s an incredible feeling.