Celebrating its 50th year, Picnic at Hanging Rock, the 1975 cult film that blurred the lines between reality and illusion, served as the ultimate muse for Zimmermann’s Fall/Winter 2025 runway. Titled Hypnotic, the collection is an ode to the haunting romanticism of mystery, the rugged beauty of the Australian landscape and the magnetic innocence of dreaming.
True to Nicky Zimmermann’s signature storytelling, references were far from skin-deep. Instead, Hypnotic distills the film’s surrealist essence, its languid femininity and simmering unease, into a modern wardrobe of intricate lace, Victorian-inflected tailoring, and an earthy palette drawn from the enigmatic Australian wilderness. Layers of sheer organza in cream and peach move like the diffused light of the afternoon, while soft lingerie dresses and voluminous wrapping robes evoke a dreamlike state. Victorian details, including diamond smocking, crocheted lace and ruffles, are paired with modern denim cuts and bulky outerwear, per Zimmermann’s styling signatures. Elsewhere, pinstripe suiting nods to school uniforms, and toughened riding wear, complete with leather trims and knee-high braided boots, grounds the ethereal in something more tangible.
As the collection deepens in mood, much like how the film’s mystery unfurls, so too does its palette—moss green and midnight blue bleed into inky black, creeping across lace bodices like tendrils of an elusive force. Textures devolve from delicate and innocent to something more substantial and evocative—burnout paisley, draped velvet stretch-knit gowns, and the shimmer of liquid fabrications, which lend a transfixing glow. Building up with increasing drama as dreams tend to do.
On the accessories front, fractured polished-stone jewellery and almond-shaped suede bags act as tactile counterpoints to the collection’s otherworldly air.
Once again conjuring a world that lingers in the imagination, Zimmermann sweeps the mind like a mirage, leaving you to wonder if you’re ever fully awake.
This story first appeared on GRAZIA International.
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