This remarkable story of how the two Zimmermann sisters built a billion dollar luxury fashion empire, is our very first RENEGADES Edition of a home grown Aussie success.
And we are delighted to share it with you.
Making their debut on The List – "Australia’s Richest 250" list this year in 2023, some 32 years and 53 boutiques – from Paddington to Paris – after starting out, the Zimmermann sisters have successfully sold a breezily elegant take on Australian style to the world. It is enough for their wealth to be estimated at $600m. Something no other Australian designer brand has even come close to.
As well as being a stand out at NY Fashion Week the Zimmermann sisters have also started showing in Paris. In a week dominated by the biggest names in European fashion – Dior, Chanel, Saint Laurent – with near limitless budgets and all the pomp and pageantry you’d expect from brands owned by billionaires, an Australian fashion house showing its wares is a significant achievement.
Collette Dinnigan made her mark on the Paris runways in the mid-1990s. Kym Ellery followed in the 2010s. Zimmermann, founded by sisters Nicky and Simone in 1991, is following in those footsteps.
And unlike Dinnigan, who had one store in London, and Ellery, who had no stores outside of Australia, the Zimmermann brand has global heft. The business employs 900 people and is financially robust with revenue (as of its last results in 2020) of $220 million. Its clothes are worn by everyone from the Princess of Wales to Beyonce. It has stores in Paris, London and Shanghai, and in the past two years has expanded to Cannes, Rome and Naples.
“As an Australian brand we don’t have a natural home overseas,” says Nicky Zimmermann of the move to Paris Fashion Week from New York, where it showed for 14 years. “We can do what we want. We can definitely do New York again, but it’s about what is right for the business at the time. Paris is the home of fashion; to show here is incredible.”
Zimmermann’s turn towards Europe represents the wheels of the fashion business in motion.
Milan-based private equity fund Style Capital bought a 70 per cent stake in the company at the end of 2020 paying $408 million, according to Women’s Wear Daily (a figure that Zimmermann declines to confirm).
Zimmermann is an Australian fashion brand that has gained widespread global recognition and success over the past two decades. Founded in 1991 by sisters Nicky and Simone Zimmermann, the brand has become known for its signature romantic and feminine aesthetic, which incorporates delicate fabrics, intricate detailing, and a touch of bohemian style. This story features the rise of Zimmermann as a fashion brand, including an analysis of some of its standout shows and collections, as well as insights from founder Nicky Zimmerman.
WRITTEN, PERFORMED AND DIRECTED BY PAUL G ROBERTS
EDITED BY RANICAN ZAPANTA
“Australian Fashion - The Past, Present and Future” film series premiered on SBS December 1 2024, and you can still see it on SBS ON DEMAND.
New internationally award winning feature documentary film series by Paul G Roberts and Fashion Industry Broadcast. The most expansive and comprehensive feature film initiative on Australian Fashion ever created. We cover the incredible rise of Australian fashion from the birth of the wool industry to the arrival of Australian Fashion week in 1995. This changed the game. Featuring the never before told stories of the greatest Australian fashion designers, designers that conquered the world.
EPISODE SUMMARY
1- The Wool Story
2- Birth of Australian Fashion Week
3- “The Lacemaker” The Collette Dinnigan Story
4- “The Last Samurai” The Akira Isogawa Story
5- “From Rats to Rap” The Ksubi Story
6- “Lady Punk” The Sass and Bide Story
CREATED BY PAUL G ROBERTS
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