SPRING READY-TO-WEAR 26

There’s always a special kind of energy in a Zimmermann show. That mix of nostalgia, craft, and modern ease that feels both dreamlike and alive. For Spring RTW 26, titled Kindred Spirit, the brand channels the free-spirited artistry of the 1970s, a time when creativity flourished within close-knit circles of artists and friends. Inspired by Lavender Bay’s iconic creative community in Sydney, Nicky Zimmermann revisits that era’s sense of connection, freedom, and joy and reimagines it through her uniquely Australian roots.

The collection is vibrant, playful, and full of life. It celebrates individuality through flowing silhouettes, unexpected bursts of color, and prints that almost seem to move as the models walk. There’s a freedom in the clothes — from billowing sleeves and cascading gowns to the painter’s overalls reimagined in tan leather — that speaks to self-expression rather than perfection.

Color takes center stage: psychedelic florals, soft tie-dyes, and bold hues collide in pieces that feel at once nostalgic and forward-thinking. Signature Zimmermann details — airy fabrics, intricate textures, and sculptural volume — are elevated with new techniques like “super-fluff,” layers of organza ruched to create cloudlike movement. Each look feels like a piece of wearable art, yet completely grounded in ease and joy. Across every detail — from patchwork leather bags to exaggerated sunglasses and playful koala-shaped jewelry — you can feel that spirit of community and craft. It’s as if the collection itself is a conversation between friends, each piece amplifying the other’s voice.

Set to the words of Lana Del Rey reciting What Happened When I Left You from Violet Bent Backwards Over the Grass, the show unfolded like a poetic daydream — romantic, nostalgic, and quietly empowering.

Zimmermann’s Kindred Spirit is more than a collection; it’s a reminder of why fashion can still move us — when it’s made with heart, vision, and a sense of belonging. Nicky Zimmermann has always had a way of weaving emotion into design. With Kindred Spirit, that instinct feels especially personal — like a love letter to creative kinship itself. The collection draws inspiration from a 1970s art collective in Lavender Bay, a small harbor-side suburb of Sydney where painters, sculptors, and dreamers gathered to live, create, and challenge the norms of their time. What emerged wasn’t just an aesthetic — it was a lifestyle built around freedom, self-expression, and shared imagination. hat sense of community comes alive in every look. You can see it in the movement of fabric — how it ripples and sways with lightness, how it feels made to be lived in. Zimmermann has always understood that the most compelling designs aren’t about rigidity but rhythm — clothes that move with you, that hold memory, that feel like an extension of personality.

The show opened with cascading silhouettes that embodied the brand’s signature codes: considered volume, dramatic movement, and a fluid elegance that never feels forced. There’s a tactile richness in the way she layers organza, lace, and poplin — materials that breathe and bounce. Her mastery of proportion shows up in every line: skirts that shoot out from the waist, sleeves that billow into sculptural shapes, flared pants that redefine balance and form.

It’s a collection that plays with nostalgia without being trapped by it. Zimmermann’s references to the 70s are filtered through a distinctly modern lens — soft yet sharp, romantic but not overly precious. Painter’s overalls return in cotton twill and tan leather, layered over plunging bodysuits that feel confident and cool. Tailoring takes on a new ease, with cropped vests and micro-shorts styled with blazers in sun-drenched hues of peach, plum, and ochre. Then there are the textures — one of Zimmermann’s secret languages. Her “super-fluff” innovation, created from countless layers of bias-cut organza ruched together, feels almost like air given form. It’s whimsical, architectural, and deeply technical all at once. In movement, it creates a kind of magic: gowns that bounce, tiers that shimmer, details that come alive with light.

Color is at the heart of Kindred Spirit. It pulses through the collection in unexpected combinations — lilac with mustard, coral against sage, deep ocean blue fading into cream. These aren’t just palette choices; they’re emotional cues. The psychedelic prints and warped florals feel hand-touched and alive, as if each one carries the echo of brushstrokes from another time. Lace appears in vibrant tones, breaking away from its usual purity, while denim evolves into a canvas of experimentation — embroidered, hand-stitched, and asymmetrically cut into modern silhouettes.

The accessories tell a story of their own: wooden platforms, raffia slides, patchwork leather bags tied into exaggerated knots. There’s a 70s nostalgia in their form, but the execution feels fresh, grounded in modern craftsmanship. The jewelry — tiny koalas, sculptural florals, golden statement pieces — adds an element of play. It’s this sense of humor and ease that keeps Zimmermann’s world from feeling too precious; there’s always warmth underneath the polish

Music and storytelling have always been part of Zimmermann’s DNA, and this season, the collaboration reached a new emotional peak. The show was set to Lana Del Rey reciting What Happened When I Left You — her words floating through Le Carreau du Temple in Paris, creating an atmosphere that was both intimate and cinematic. Mimi Xu’s original composition layered around the poem, giving the space a pulse that felt almost meditative.

It was a moment that reminded everyone why fashion shows can still be transformative experiences — when sound, movement, and emotion align to say something deeper. You could feel it in the room: the merging of past and present, poetry and design, art and life.

What’s remarkable about Kindred Spirit is how seamlessly it continues Zimmermann’s evolution. There’s a sense of maturity here — a deeper refinement in construction and vision — yet the heart remains the same: joy, movement, individuality. With ateliers in both Sydney and Paris, the brand has found a harmony between effortless femininity and European precision.

It’s a duality that mirrors the women Zimmermann designs for — women who are multifaceted, who hold strength and softness in equal measure, who can command a room while looking like they’ve just stepped out of a dream.

Each piece in Kindred Spirit carries that message: to live fully, to express without hesitation, to find beauty in connection. The collection doesn’t just reference an era — it revives its essence for a modern world that still craves meaning and togetherness.

Zimmermann reminds us that freedom isn’t found in chaos, but in creation. It’s in the moments when artistry and emotion intertwine — when fabric becomes memory, when color becomes voice, when fashion becomes a form of kinship.

Kindred Spirit isn’t just a season — it’s a state of mind. And in Zimmermann’s hands, it’s pure poetry in motion.of that lonely whistling. Strange, right?

What lingers most from this collection isn’t a single gown or silhouette — it’s the feeling of togetherness that Zimmermann brings to life. There’s something beautifully human in the way she designs, a quiet reverence for the creative bonds that keep us inspired. You sense it in the craftsmanship, in the way each stitch carries intention, and in how each look feels like part of a larger conversation about belonging and self-expression.

Zimmermann continues to create from a place of emotion and authenticity — and that’s what makes her world so magnetic. In a time where fashion can often feel distant or performative, Kindred Spirit stands out as something real: a celebration of artistry, collaboration, and joy.

It reminds us that style is never just about what we wear — it’s about who we are, who we share it with, and how we choose to show up in the world.

With Kindred Spirit, Zimmermann doesn’t just deliver another beautiful collection; she offers a vision of modern femininity rooted in community and heart. A reminder that even in the noise of the world, there’s still space for softness, courage, and connection — and that true elegance begins not with what we see, but with what we feel.

Set Creative Direction Michelle Jank, Stylist Romy Frydman, Make Up Director Jodie Boland, Hair Director Damien Boissinot, Casting Michelle Lee, Art Direction Smile Agency - Emil Vrisakis, Music Director Mimi Xu, Production OBO, Runway Content Capture Titre Provisoire, Runway Stills Photographer Indigital, Backstage Stills Photographer Charles Dennington, Backstage Set Videographer Anthony Goujjane, Backstage Roaming Stills Virgile Guinard, Backstage Roaming Stills Angele Chatenet, Backstage Roaming Stills Sonny Vandevelde, Backstage Roaming Stills Diane Betties, Backstage Roaming Video Maison Mimesis, Backstage TikTok Scrol Agency.

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