Nicky Zimmermann reveals the secret to her unicorn fashion brand’s global success
Three decades of consistent hard work, a little luck and abundant creativity have forged international success for the Australian label – designer Nicky Zimmermann shares why this is only the start for the brand’s expansion.
“You’ve saved me money and also being depressed, so I really appreciate it,” laughs Nicky Zimmermann during an impromptu follow-up phone call that coincides with a rare free slot within her meticulously organised workday calendar. It’s a window that would otherwise have been spent shopping online or trawling the day’s news cycle before her next meeting. “The world is a debacle … it’s better if I keep my blood pressure low,” she continues.
Whether working from Zimmermann’s airy Sydney design studio or her mirrored setup within Paris’s Marais district, humour remains a constant companion to the designer’s staggering success, which has seen the family business soar from a Paddington market stall to unicorn of the Australian fashion industry. “For me, it’s everything,” she says of the distinctly Aussie ability to dial down any drama with a good laugh.
“It takes the pressure off. It’s why I enjoy the people that I work with,” Zimmermann says, adding that many of her inner circle have worked beside her for decades – plural – along with her sister Simone, co-founder and chief operating officer, and Nicky’s husband of 23 years, Chris Olliver, the company’s chief executive.
“Chris would say, he knows the collection is good when he can hear me laughing my head off … We’re happy when we are doing what we love, so we are forever cracking a joke. We say really funny, dumb stuff and we are happy. I like that kind of energy in the room.”
That’s not to say that 34 years in, with 1300 employees globally and an estimated business value of $1.75 billion, Zimmermann isn’t working harder than ever. In 2023 private equity firm Advent International – which has made more than 430 private equity investments across 44 countries with $140 billion in assets currently under management – acquired a majority shareholding from Style Capital. The Zimmermann family and Style Capital, which in 2020 acquired 70 per cent of the brand in a transaction valued at a reported $446 million, together retain a significant minority shareholding. As a result, the Zimmermann sisters now share a combined estimated wealth of $885 million.
“I actually work harder than I ever have, but I’m probably at the point where I can because of how much experience I have,” she laughs. “Some people watch me and go, ‘Holy cow!’. But I love it. I love being with my team. I love when a show dress comes up from the sample room. It’s my favourite thing. And when you’re in there doing work and if you really like it that much, it’s amazing.”
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The brand now has 77 standalone stores globally, from Dubai to Shenzhen, Dallas to Madrid including a host of beautifully outfitted resort-geared boutiques in the world’s most enviable holiday destinations. Ibiza opened in February, followed by the Greek island of Mykonos, where WISH’s cover was captured. Taormina in Sicily is the latest addition, with more to come.
“Greece is strategic, but also a must-do,” she says of the idyllic isle that’s a rite of passage for many Australians, and also where the Zimmermann family gathered their nearest and dearest for a few celebratory days in the sun last month. “It’s close to our hearts,” she smiles. “I have a nice connection because Chris is half Greek, which is essentially meaning he’s full Greek. It’s just how it works,” she chuckles.
The pair married on Santorini and try to return to Greece annually. “Twenty five years ago it really was quite different. We had a reception in the fish taverna. It was very simple and very fun,” she recalls. “I made my dress out of the tablecloths that I bought in the markets there. I just love the whole lifestyle. Mykonos is its own ball game,” she adds. “It’s one of those incredible spots. I don’t mind having a couple of glasses of wine and having a bit of a shop at lunchtime,” she says of the new store. “Mykonos is fun, everything is fun about it. So that really suits us.”
Fun in the sun may be a key component of the Zimmermann lifestyle; after all, swimwear put the brand on the map internationally following their show at the inaugural Australian Fashion Week in 1996. But for its creative director, who is on a plane overseas every seven weeks or so, structure offers solace. The brand now shows each March and September on schedule during Paris Fashion Week and opened a European headquarters in the French capital in 2019. Their new office at 7 rue Barbette was designed by regular collaborator Studio McQualter and covers 3000 square metres across four floors with a 250-square-metre rooftop overlooking the Marais.
Aligning her bicontinental design teams between Sydney and Paris has been a two-year work in progress. “That’s really been the newest thing for me and probably one of the hardest is to work out that communication and to make sure that the Paris team is across everything that’s going on in this room,” Zimmermann says of her Sydney office, where reference books are neatly piled high behind her desk, “and that our team in Sydney is across what’s going on in that room”.
They’ve got myriad ways to communicate. “There’s phone calls every night with Paris. I answer all my emails in the morning, so they wake up, and there’s Nicky answering all the questions. If anything goes on, I just pick up the phone and call one of the managers, like, ‘Who do I need to talk to?’ It’s something that we are really creatively learning.”
An open-source approach across design categories is also something she nurtures. “Some [businesses] will just have the knit team, for example, and you funnel the designs through that team, so the denim team don’t know what the knit team is doing. I work on a very open book, creatively. And what I get is people going, ‘What about if you did that in a sweater or could that turn into denim?’ And I’m like, ‘Great, show us what you got, brilliant’. For me, the more collaborative you can be creatively with a team, the more you get out of it. It makes what we do so much better. And it keeps me learning. I’m watching both teams learn. And honestly, when you’ve been working for such a long time, to learn and adapt and change and move forward, it’s everything. It’s fun.”
Meantime, there’s no denying the national obsession with predicting the next homegrown fashion brand with potential to scale the heights of the Zimmermann success story, but its designer sees their path as more an anomaly than a playbook to follow. “I think the luck for us starts with Simone and I – sisters that get on and can work [together] and have different skill sets,” she reflects. “From the beginning we have had this incredible sort of support mechanism. And then, why did I marry Chris? And then he ends up being chief executive? Literally none of this would’ve happened if that didn’t happen. That’s just a fact. I think a lot of things definitely go into luck and I think when referring to how and why we’ve done it – that’s something you can’t force but you can work out other ways of doing it. For us, it happened in a very organic kind of natural way.
“And I also just think – time,” she continues, “the difference between now and when we started. We had the ability to make mistakes without people really seeing it. Now young designers coming through do a good collection and all eyes are on them immediately. And I just think, ‘Man, they’re not ready’. I think they’re excellent, but I think it’s so hard and so much stress for them. I would’ve done one or two early collections that were really good, and then maybe three and four that were crap. But it didn’t matter. It only mattered in that I’m able to look at it and go, well, ‘That wasn’t very good. You better make the next one good’. But it wasn’t out in the world. And these are the things I think for me, when we talk about luck, for me to grow as a creative, that was lucky. And that’s what I think is so hard. We had BlackBerries … you took a photograph with a camera … and you faxed people,” Zimmermann chuckles.
What remains unchanged is the unbreakable bond with her sister. “Simone and I to our core, we are exactly the same, [as we were] even as teenagers. We can forget where we are and we can have a bit of a bicker how we would’ve had over the washing up when we were kids, like, ‘You’re an idiot’. ‘No, you’re an idiot’. ‘No, you’re a really big idiot’,” she laughs.
“And then we’ll look at each other going, ‘Oh my god, we should not be doing this in front of these people’. And then we will laugh. People could look at us and go, ‘Oh my, seriously?’ But we will find that then hilarious. And then you’re like, ‘Oh wow, OK. Maybe this is how it works?’ Simone and I always come together in any situation; we have got each other’s back like nobody. That has never changed, never moved, and I think that the humour, and that essentially, we think the same …” she reflects.
“We’ve grown up with the same kind of morals. We have similar outlooks on people and what’s right and what’s wrong. And absolute mutual respect. Sometimes Simone and I look at each at other, sitting in Paris and we go, ‘How has this happened?’. It’s hilarious. We’re as tight as ever while we’re having our own lives.”
There’s less separation in her own home with husband Chris, however. “We’re weirdos,” she laughs of how they manage the fusion of family and business. “At certain points in time, which you would understand with what the business has gone through, there’s no separation. Me really, I’m there listening to him. I think my issues are not really issues. He’s not interested in me saying I’m not going to [deliver] the collection on time because he knows I will.
“When there’s high stakes going on, I’m just trying to be supportive and calm, to be honest. I’m not a hysterical person. And I think for him also, when things are really, really tough, my ability, and Simone has the exact same ability, we just get up and keep going. We’re like, ‘Well, we’ve got no choice. We have to do it’. You’ve got to be resilient and keep going. So I think Chris and I probably have a really good balance in that way. I would always just try and keep things calm, so he’s got a really good space to get through mentally what he needs to get through to get the job done because it’s complex what he does, and the people are complex. Mine’s fun,” she smiles, again deploying the sense of humour that has clearly served her well.
The Zimmermann board also provides a well of blue-sky thinking for the pair. “Super inspiring people to be around and no, I can’t talk about them individually,” she laughs. “But it’s another whole level of enjoyment for me listening to these people, listening to what they find interesting about our business and the possibilities that they see for our business,” she adds.
“Sometimes it’s more than I see, and it’s like, ‘Wow, really? Well, if you think we can do that, then amazing’. It’s inspirational. And I would say something really enjoyable and great for someone like Chris, too. These people have incredible international businesses. They understand what we’re going through, so he’s able to speak to people in really similar situations, or they’ve done what we’ve done. And that’s not really luck, that’s a circumstance of where we’re at: so much hard work and consistently for a really, really, long time,” she laughs.
Routine is what keeps the wheels turning for Zimmermann personally, especially in light of all the travel.
“I find it such a brilliant thing that we’ve been able to have this business where we can live in Australia and travel to these amazing different countries. I can’t complain about how I travel, but you cope differently as you get older. You eat well and [make sure] that you’re fit and you have your routine, and that I’ve learned because most definitely when I was young we would go out the night before I hopped on a plane. Now, I won’t even have a glass of wine before,” she laughs.
“You adjust. You’ve got to get off the plane and go straight in and work and I can’t not do it well, so you’ve got to be in decent shape. And literally, I just pamper myself. People would find it ridiculous. Like my skin routine – I put on masks, I do all sorts, it’s hilarious. Quite often, I end up in conversations with the flight attendants and they’re like, ‘What one’s that?’ It’s actually embarrassing if I get off and look dreadful because I’ve put so much effort into it.”
In Paris, home is Hôtel Costes. These days they just throw her the key (“No room escort up anymore”), although she does let them help with the unpacking and steaming. Like many Australians who jet into Paris for work, the time zone changes mean she is early to rise and chooses to start her day with Pilates and weights that she does online. (“I do it online at home as well. I just need to get the blood moving.”)
Next, she heads down to breakfast for boiled eggs while she clears her inbox from Australia. “It’s literally just me and these tiny birds flying around. It’s hilarious. It’s actually peaceful.”
Sneakers are on for the 45-minute walk to the design studio, which she relishes. “I love Paris in the morning. When I leave there’s hardly anyone around. It’s like a whole different ball game when I’m coming home – everyone’s out at night.”
But regardless of how many outposts the brand opens in fabulous, far-flung destinations, Australia remains her happy place. “There is literally nothing better than when you’ve been away to step off the plane and be in Australia,” she smiles. “I don’t know if it’s just Australians that think that, but 100 per cent for me, it’s like all of a sudden, I’m comfortable, the normal humour is back. You can crack a joke and people get it. It’s lovely.”
The couple’s two children are through school and embarking on their own lives, providing Zimmermann with the freedom to travel more readily. But in the early years, family support was paramount.
“We’ve had such a great setup between our parents who have always been super energetic when the kids were younger, when Chris and I had to travel at the same time.” The pact between them was no longer than two weeks away. “Our parents would move in, and believe me, everyone was excited when we were going,” she laughs. “It was like a win-win for the kids and for the grandparents and we were entrusting people that gave us an awesome upbringing so we felt very comfortable and very, very well-supported to go off and do what we needed to do.”
These days the family often meets up overseas. “Now, we have a hilarious time. My kids are there, Simone’s daughter’s there, our friends’ kids are all over the world and everyone rocks up and comes to the show or meets us here or there. It’s incredible,” she says, noting long lunches at Mykonos’s Nammos beach club.
“To my younger self, I think I would probably go, ‘God, you’re in for a wild ride’,” she smiles, reflecting on the road the brand has travelled.
“And if you can keep hanging in there and keep working hard and hang onto that resilience when something bad or difficult happens, to be able to get up and just come into work and just do your job, it’s a really tough thing. Simone and I and Chris, we will always work our way through things, whatever disaster hits. And that’s always been our attitude. I always address it with, ‘Is it something that I’ve done? What can I do better? How can I fix it?’ So then my team has that mindset implemented. We don’t go, ‘Oh, the weather’s bad, so we’re not doing well’. We go, ‘There’s something wrong with the collection, let’s sort it out’. We are very introspective in that way. And I would say to my younger self and to nearly any designer, if you look at yourself, you’ll keep learning and growing and that is what keeps you wanting to keep going,” she says.
In terms of legacy, Zimmermann says she intends to remain where she is for the long term. “They’ll probably wheel me out of here,” she laughs, again kidding/not kidding. “The legacy is just to make sure that you’re doing the best for your customer. If you love it, then they love it, if they can see how much effort you’re putting into it. I think that when people are buying things from you for special occasions and trusting what you do, you just want to make sure that that legacy is making things that become a part of people’s great memories. As a brand, that’s what I love.”
People often stop Zimmermann in airports and on the street to share their memories of her clothes that were worn to weddings, christenings, anniversaries and plenty of destination holidays.
“They’re like, ‘My husband asked me to marry him in that dress and then at the christening I wore this dress’. You’ve become a part of the fabric of people’s lives, and they become connected. It’s the best compliment you can get,” the designer says.
While she can’t always pinpoint exactly the dress to which they’re referring (“I’ve done thousands of printed dresses!)”, the Zimmermann brand now has a comprehensive archive.
“It actually starts with things that I made at design school, and they’ve been rescued twice,” she laughs. “Once my parents accidentally left them in their apartment when they sold it. And then another time I put them in my garage, which flooded.”
Every showpiece is now formally archived, but Zimmermann’s focus is firmly on the future. AI is something the business is embracing.
“We’re extremely aware,” she shares. “Obviously, you need to be extremely careful of your own intellectual property, but there’s amazing technological advantage. AI is made for people like us; you’re prodded creatively. It broadens my perspective of what I’m researching.”
Championing the creative strength of our local industry is something that Zimmermann is just as passionate about.
“It’s really, really important to me that things are seen in a really positive light,” she says of May’s Australian Fashion Week reboot. “I’m seeing directly working with very young, talented people who have got these new skills, that they will be able to do anything,” she continues. “Our path is so long and so convoluted; there’s so many new ways, but the key to it is creativity and just having that clear vision.”
Nicky Zimmermann’s postcards from Mykonos
“It’s always nice to stay somewhere a bit secluded. In Mykonos The Wild Hotel by Interni [below] is incredible. Being cliffside it has the most spectacular views. You can’t beat Greek food full stop, but somewhere laidback like Kiki’s Tavern is so simple and delicious. Our new Zimmermann boutique [below right] is in Mykonos Town [Chora], which is the area to visit local artisans and small galleries, like Minima Gallery. Spilia [restaurant, right] is always a good time, otherwise I’d head for some quiet at Fokos Beach.”
Ibiza
“A base like Atzaró [Agroturismo Hotel] is phenomenal – it perfectly captures the island’s tranquil side and the pool goes on forever. Lunch at Jondal [top right] followed by time on the daybeds there is a perfect afternoon. For a sunset drink, I’d head to the west side of the island on the clifftop at Es Boldado, which has incredible views of the Es Vedrà islet. A day trip to Formentera by boat is super special … arriving back at the harbourfront, I’d pop by our store [on Avenue de Bartomeu de Roselló, top left] and weave in and out of the local boutiques there.”
Capri
“Punta Tragara hotel [bottom right], above the Faraglioni is super beautiful. Lazing in the sun beneath the blue umbrellas at Fontelina [bottom left] is a must, as is taking in views of Capri by boat, especially to catch sight of Casa Malaparte. My favourite spot for a long lunch is Il Riccio, for the seafood and the view. Unwinding at the [Jumeirah] Capri Palace’s spa [below] is a pretty great way to take in an afternoon, too.”
Saint-Tropez
“To stay, I love Épi Bai de Pampelonne [top left] or Lou Pinet’s boutique hotel, for its ’60s charm. A morning at the main markets, Places des Lices, is a nice way to feel like a local. For downtime, lazing with a book at Les Palmiers beach club or a trip to the Airelles Spa by Valmont [at Château de La Messardière, left] is incredible. To dine, a long lunch at Loulou Ramatuelle [top right] and an alfresco dinner at Restaurant BanH-Hoï would be my go-to’s.”
This story is from the July issue of WISH.
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