When Zimmermann looked to the 1983 America's Cup for resort inspiration, they found more than a nautical tale - they uncovered a dialogue between athleticism and elegance that resonates deeply with lingerie's own evolution. The victory of Australia II, a scrappy underdog unseating a 132-year American dynasty, offered creative director Nicky Zimmermann a lens to explore the tension between practicality and glamour, a tension that has defined intimate apparel since the early 20th century.
Just as the corset gave way to the brassiere in the 1910s, blending structure with freedom, Zimmermann's collection marries technical sailing references - photorealistic prints, rope detailing, waterproof separates - with fluid silk chiffon and organza. The designer's emphasis on movement echoes the shift from restrictive Edwardian undergarments to the liberating slips and camisoles of the 1920s, which allowed women to dance and move unencumbered. Hidden wiring in striped lace dresses, creating a ripple as the wearer walks, recalls the boning of Victorian corsets reimagined for modern ease.
Zimmermann (founded in 1991 as a swimwear label by sisters Nicky and Simone Zimmermann) has long understood that lingerie's legacy of layering structure beneath softness informs all fashion. The brand's growing denim category - featuring corseted tops and dramatic skirts - directly references the corsetry that once shaped women's bodies, now reworked as outerwear. Tailoring, too, evolves: lilac strapless jumpsuits and lemon tuxedo separates soften eveningwear, much as the 1930s teddy combined brassiere and girdle into a single, elegant garment.
"We are working on the evolution of Zimmermann," Nicky says, "not in scale or size, but in design." Her collection proves that the most sophisticated wardrobe is one that honors the past while sailing confidently into the future.
Originally reported by WWD