Fashion

Zimmermann Fall 2026 Was a Love Letter to the Cool Girls

BYKhaoula Ghanem

March 12, 2026

At Zimmermann, romance is practically a house language. But for Fall 2026, Nicky Zimmermann gave that softness a backbone. Instead of the usual sun-drenched fantasy the Australian label is known for, the collection looked backward to the unruly women of 1920s Australia who refused to behave the way society expected them to.

The inspiration came partly from Zimmermann’s own family history. Her grandmother, she has said in interviews before, was a lifesaver at Sydney’s Coogee Beach as a teenager, a detail that neatly captures the kind of spirit she was chasing this season. The 1920s in Australia were a strange, electric time: women were increasingly entering public life, playing competitive sports, driving cars across vast landscapes, and generally ignoring the polite limitations placed on them. Figures like writer Miles Franklin or the road-tripping duo Kathleen Howell and Jean Robertson—who famously crossed Australia together by car—embodied that shift. There’s a well-known photograph of the two women perched casually on the back of their vehicle, lighting each other’s cigarettes, an image Zimmermann kept returning to.

Zimmermann Fall 2026 Ready-to-Wear. Courtesy of Zimmermann.

That mix of grit and glamour shaped the collection from the opening looks. One of the first exits—a silk scarf printed with vintage aviation and sporting motifs draped asymmetrically across the body and knotted at the waist transformed a traditionally masculine accessory into a fluid, almost toga-like dress. Styled with chunky platforms and wool socks, it felt like a modern explorer’s uniform.

Scarves, in fact, became the collection’s most playful motif. Several looks reimagined men’s silk scarves as patchworked skirts and dresses, wrapped, twisted, and layered in ways that created movement with every step. One standout look paired a richly printed scarf skirt with an oversized shearling-trimmed jacket cinched tightly at the waist with a thick leather belt. The contrast between rugged outerwear and delicate silk captured Zimmermann’s central thesis: femininity and strength are not opposing forces.

Zimmermann Fall 2026 Ready-to-Wear. Courtesy of Zimmermann.

Layering played a crucial role in shaping that narrative. A lace-paneled wrap dress floated over wide-leg denim, while sculptural knitwear peeked out from beneath a blouson-style jumpsuit. A cropped aviator-style denim jacket—arguably the collection’s most overt nod to the era of early aviation—sat atop fluid skirts that swayed dramatically down the runway. The styling was meticulous yet relaxed, as if these clothes had been assembled instinctively by someone constantly on the move.

As the show progressed, the collection softened. Utility gave way to lingerie-inspired silhouettes—corset-like bodices, delicate lace inserts, and flowing georgette panels that nodded to the glamour of Art Deco nightlife. One particularly striking look featured a multicolored patchwork dress trimmed with fringe, its layered panels rippling like banners in the wind. Another paired a dramatic black leather coat with a cascading lace gown, the two textures colliding in a way that felt both theatrical and deeply wearable.

Zimmermann Fall 2026 Ready-to-Wear. Courtesy of Zimmermann.

Zimmermann’s signature bohemian romance remained intact, but it had been sharpened by historical references that lent the collection a new sense of purpose. Accessories, such as embroidered velvet slipper-style mules, patchwork python bags, and bird-shaped jewelry charms reinforced the narrative.

Zimmermann often says she designs clothes that come alive when the wearer walks, and that philosophy was evident everywhere. These were clothes for women going somewhere, even if they didn’t yet know exactly where that was. Which, come to think of it, is exactly the kind of spirit that made those 1920s Australian pioneers so compelling in the first place.

Scroll down to discover some of our favorite looks from the collection.

Zimmermann Fall 2026 Ready-to-Wear. Courtesy of Zimmermann.

Zimmermann Fall 2026 Was a Love Letter to the Cool Girls

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Zimmermann Fall 2026 Was a Love Letter to the Cool Girls

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