I Don’t Mean to Brag, But I Expect Lots of Compliments When I Wear One of These Zimmermann Dresses

It’s the scalloped ruffle billowing out from underneath a satin ochre mini, panelled floral gown cascading down to your ankle or the flouncy button-up cropped shirt adorned with psychedelic interpretations of vintage Australian surf posters. Whatever your reference point is, these are the motifs that make one of fashion’s most in-demand designers what it’s revered for. I’m of course talking about Zimmermann dresses.

Style Notes: Content creator Amy Julliette Lefévre wears a Zimmermann dress from Zimmermann's autumn/winter 2023 collection.

Growing up in Sydney, the brand’s hometown, I remember so vividly the feeling of envy, admiration and aspiration walking past its Bondi Junction boutique as a teenager. I’d peer into the window, marvelling at the billowing fabric that seemed to defy gravity that adorned the mannequins. The glamorous women I’d see behind the glass were exotic to me, an apparent culmination of having ‘made it’ in some way to have the means to shop there.

As I got older, one of my first major jobs in my career brought me closer to the brand, as the PR firm I worked for boasted Zimmermann as a founding client. From that moment, my relationship with the brand changed. These beautiful gowns are more than just pretty things to admire and feel good in, but are representative of two women’s drive, grit and determination for bringing a touch of escapism.

Style Notes: Influencers Emma Leger and Carla Ginola attend Zimmermann's autumn/winter 2025 collection presentation during Paris Fashion Week.

What Is the History of Zimmermann?

Zimmermann’s brand story began in 1991 when sisters Nicky and Simone founded the namesake label. In the years prior to the inception, Nicky had followed in the footsteps of their mother, Joan, and began handmaking garments in the family’s garage in between her tertiary studies at East Sydney Technical College in the inner-city suburb of Darlinghurst.

On the weekends, Zimmermann would take the garments to a local market in the leafy neighbourhood of Paddington, a stone’s throw from the school, to, as the tale is told, “afford to buy more fabric and maybe go out on a Saturday.” (As per Zimmermann’s interview with Harper’s Bazaar. Interest grew naturally, and within a short time, Zimmermann had its first wholesale order after a spread appeared in the local edition of Vogue, courtesy of a styling assistant friend who just happened to pique the interest of the fashion director when wearing a piece into work one day.

A flagship store followed after and by 2003, they had opened that outpost that would define how I perceived modern Australian luxury. The brand staged its first fashion show in 1996 in Sydney, a harbourside location it would continue to show collections at before making the jump to New York and cementing itself on the international stage in 2014. Zimmermann had longstanding roots in the United States after opening a boutique on Rodeo Drive, Los Angeles in 2011 before following that up with a second offering in SoHo, New York in 2012. A decade later, in 2022, Zimmermann traded the cobblestone streets of Manhattan for the Haussmannian architecture of Paris, where they’ve remained a firm fixture and favourite on the Paris Fashion Week schedule ever since.

Style Notes: Pixie Geldof attends Zimmermann's autumn/winter 2025 collection presentation during Paris Fashion Week.

Of course, it’s not just in America that its sense for playful romantic and unapologetic coastal-meets-city outlook resonates. In the early 2010s, Zimmermann put its stamp on the UK and Europe by unveiling spaces in Mayfair and Saint Tropez, respectively. Its global domination is clear—regardless of the location, women will always gravitate towards the brand's bohemian delicacy and breezy opulence. It’s these traits that have made Zimmermann a mainstay come summer, with the label’s resort pieces cropping up across balmy rooftops in Greenwich Village, beach clubs in Capri and the seaside restaurants in East Hampton. (Beyoncé is known to have shopped here in the past.)

Style Notes: Kendall Jenner wearing a Zimmermann dress in Soho, 2017.

What Is Zimmermann Known for?

Zimmermann is best known for its swimwear and dresses. Yet, it’s the latter that has proven to be the brand’s most recognisable silhouette. No two pieces are the same from Zimmermann, but each design is enriched through flouncy silk fabrics that evoke the movement of jellyfish, punchy botanicals often derived from collaboration with significant artists, soft pastel languid landscapes that demand to transport you and vintage elements that hark back to Australiana of yore. (A music program broadcasted in the '70s called Countdown, yacht clubs of the '50s and the pouffy, hairspray-fragranced high school days of the ‘80s when Molly Ringwald and the Brat Pack reigned supreme.)

Style Notes: Influencer Izi Angus wearing a dress from Zimmermann's Spring/Summer 2025 collection.

Why Are Zimmermann Dresses So Popular?

Zimmermann dresses have become a go-to for event dressing thanks to their head-turning, statement-making shapes and memorable prints. More so, they’ve garnered the endorsement and attention of trendsetters the world over, from Emma Roberts to Catherine, the Princess of Wales. Most recently, Taylor Swift wore a Zimmermann dress when she attended the 2023 wedding of model and musician Karen Elson.

Style Notes: Taylor Swift wears Zimmermann's Halliday dress in New York, 2023.

On the front rows, Zimmermann also draws a crowd, too, with the likes of Katie Holmes a regular mainstay.

Style Notes: Katie Holmes attends Zimmermann's autumn/winter 2025 collection presentation during Paris Fashion Week.

Are Zimmermann Dresses Worth the Price?

Zimmermann dresses begin upwards of £500 and can often extend far into the £2500 price range. As a luxury brand, this price is reflective of other more established and heritage brands and the quality of its pieces. Of course, you mustn't forget the technicality of each design, with Zimmermann dresses sporting intricate details like knotting made of silk organza, undulating panels that hold shape, layers of fine lace and laser-cut frills. In saying that, these are pieces that you’ll cherish forever and will last a lifetime.

Style Notes: Chrissy Ford wears Zimmermann's Tropicana dress in Miami, 2022.

You may think, because of how striking the styles are, that you won’t be able to wear them again—a rhetoric I personally find quite outdated and reductive—but the beauty of these designs is that they’re as suitable for occasionwear as they are a gorgeous meal out. Ahead, I’ve hand-picked my favourite Zimmermann dresses from their current range. To see and shop what a Who What Wear fashion editor has on their wish list, keep scrolling ahead.

Shop the Best Zimmermann Dresses