Creative Director Nicky Zimmermann reimagines the iconic style of the 1980s with a Resort collection that captures the exuberant spirit of the era and adapts it to a contemporary and sophisticated aesthetic.
Zimmermann’s Resort RTW 2025 collection delves into the vibrant world of the 1980s, offering a proposition that combines nostalgia with modernity. Under the creative direction of Nicky Zimmermann, the collection draws inspiration from the charm and extravagance of the coming-of-age films of the decade, such as St. Elmo’s Fire, The Breakfast Club, and Pretty in Pink.
Zimmermann recalls how the 80s films and stars, like Winona Ryder, Lisa Bonet, and Molly Ringwald, influenced her style during her years at design school in Sydney. “I thought about the impact that 80s coming-of-age films and actors had on my friends and me when I was in design school—films like St. Elmo’s Fire, The Breakfast Club, and Pretty in Pink,” says Zimmermann. This impact translates into the collection, which blends vintage elements with modern touches. The Creative Director evokes the playful experimentation of her youth, reflected in the mix of masculine and feminine clothing and the exploration of vintage stores to create unique looks. “We used to go to vintage markets and create looks that mixed old with new, men’s and women’s clothes—that was our form of entertainment on weekends before going out,” she recalls.
The Resort RTW 2025 collection features a variety of soft floral prints, silk linen organza with leopard print for prom-style dresses, and engineered lace. Lace is a prominent texture, not only in the main looks but also in the shoes. Nostalgic details include small icons inspired by the films, such as diary excerpts, cassette tapes, records, and lipstick, integrated into illustrations and charms.
Denim plays a crucial role in the collection, with biker and collegiate jackets paired with oversized jeans, evoking masculine influences. Tailoring features exaggerated shoulders, capturing the essence of the decade in a contemporary manner. The collection opens with a look that combines lace shorts and an oversized lace pirate shirt and explores collegiate style with dark denim varsity jackets and flirty dresses.
Zimmermann emphasizes that the brand’s success over its three decades is due to an unwavering creative vision and constant reinvention. “We’ve always had a very clear vision of who we are in our minds, and I think our customers recognize and appreciate that,” she explains. “This allows us to focus and keep doing what we love, but we do it in a new way each season. It will always involve detail and embrace color, print, and movement. This collection really appeals to that in a very playful way.”
The Resort RTW 2025 collection encapsulates this vision with a fresh and playful attitude, offering a tribute to the 80s that is both fun and sophisticated. Zimmermann notes that the decade was a period of experimentation with exaggerated proportions, vibrant colors, and women entering masculine tailoring. “The style was quite experimental with dramatically oversized proportions, wild use of color, and women venturing into masculine tailoring,” Zimmermann says. “I think there’s something innately fun about dissecting what some might call questionable and working with those elements to create something really fresh and fun.”
The influence of the 80s on contemporary design is not just based on its distinctive aesthetic, but on the bold exploration of what’s possible in fashion. Zimmermann’s Resort RTW 2025 collection stands as a celebration of the creativity and bold spirit of the 80s, renewed for the present with a playful and sophisticated approach.
