For Resort 2025, Zimmermann found a wealth of inspiration in the zany fashion choices of 80s films. And rightfully so. Even if you weren’t around for the time, it was clearly a decade marked by sprawling creativity, free from the self-conscious constraints of minimalism and the crippling pressures of the attention economy. We see this in the winsome optimism and rebelliousness of the films that still define this era. Sartorially, it mattered more to make a statement and stand out from the crowd than to make sense or please everyone. While this seems counterintuitive in today’s world, Zimmermann’s latest collection captures this very sentiment, channelling nostalgia for this era into something modern but just as fun, daring and John Hughes-coded.
“I was thinking about the influence that 80s coming-of-age movies and actors of the era had on my friends and me back when I was at design school—movies like St Elmo’s Fire, The Breakfast Club and Pretty In Pink,” said creative director Nicky Zimmermann about her design inspiration. “We would rummage through vintage stores and create looks that mixed and matched the old with the new, menswear and womenswear—that was our entertainment on the weekends before we went out.”
“For this Resort season, we embraced the style and feel-good mood of 80s movies and tried to bring it together in a fresh, fun and modern way,” the designer explained of the collection. “We worked with soft focus floral prints, leopard print on silk linen organza for prom-like dresses, engineered lace prints—as well as lace as a key texture itself in both key looks and shoes. There are lots of little icons inspired by the films that run through our details; diary extracts, cassette tapes, records and lipstick that come through in key artwork and in charms.”
Throughout its three decades in business, the Australian fashion label has achieved unmatched global recognition. As far as its enduring appeal goes, Zimmermann credits the brand’s success to an unwavering creative vision.
“We’ve always had a very clear vision of who we are in our minds, and I think our clients recognise and appreciate that about us,” she told GRAZIA ahead of the Resort 2025 show. “It allows us to put our heads down and keep doing what we like, but with each season, we do it in a new way. It will always involve detail and embrace colour, print and movement. This collection really appeals to that in a very playful way.”
The 80s have long served as a key influence for contemporary designers, not because of its distinct aesthetic but because of its unabashed probing of what is possible in fashion.
“The style was quite experimental with the dramatically oversized proportions, crazy use of colour, women getting into men’s tailoring,” says Zimmermann. “I think there’s something innately fun about dissecting what some would call questionable and working with those elements to create something really fresh and fun.”
This story first appeared on GRAZIA International.