From its beginnings in a Sydney garage to the global runways adored by women around the world, ZIMMERMANN, the iconic Australian fashion brand founded by sisters Nicky and Simone Zimmermann, has officially arrived in Bangkok with the opening of its first boutique in Thailand at ICONSIAM.
On this special occasion, #legend_th sits down with Simone Zimmermann, Co-founder of the brand, to explore why Bangkok marks a significant new chapter in ZIMMERMANN’s journey, and to delve into the design philosophy that has shaped the brand into a modern symbol of femininity, defined by confidence and an optimistic spirit.
#legend_th: What inspired Zimmerman to open its 1st boutique in Bangkok?
Simone: “So, we’ve been very busy in the last few years. Even though we’ve been in business for 30 years, we have always opened stores. We opened our first stores in Australia, and then, after 10 or 15 years, we started opening stores outside of Australia. We started opening stores in the Northern Hemisphere, so whilst we had stores in Australia, we just couldn’t do everything at once. We were a growing business, so we started in Europe and America. We thought that it would be better for us to open in Asia as a second phase, when we were better known and a bigger business. We would then be able to come to a city like Thailand, which we didn’t plan it like this but it’s the perfect timing to open. I’d like to say we had a crystal ball and we knew what was happening, but Thailand and Bangkok are really flourishing as a country and as a city. It’s so global now, and I think the time has arrived for our clients to be here. We have planned more stores in Thailand, and this has been very successful. It’s only new, but it has started very well. So we’re excited to be in some more places.”
#legend_th: How does Bangkok reflect the spirit and style of Zimmerman woman?
Simone: “Well, people ask that sort of question quite often in any country. So what I think is, when we think about it, it’s the same type of woman. Even in Thailand, it’s very different to New York, and New York is very different to Australia, and somewhere else is very different to Beijing. It’s the same type of lady—somebody who is very confident, loves her femininity, and is very happy to be a strong woman. She wants to enjoy herself and have a sense of fun. I think we try to bring a bit of joy into the designs that we do, and they’re optimistic. So it’s the same lady but in a different place. Ladies in Thailand, like in other places, have weddings to go to, birthday parties, and New Year’s celebrations. There’s always lots of fun times where our clothing can be worn. And it doesn’t matter what country you’re in.”
#legend_th: What makes Southeast Asia, particularly in Thailand? an exciting market for Zimmerman right now?
Simone: “I think that the world is a changing place. And I think that, for us, the timing to open a store now is just the right time, you know? So there are local clients in Bangkok who are our sort of people, who might enjoy and come to our store. So we’re really wanting to make sure we engage with them and create a community with the local clients. There’s an expat community as well, so there are people from, I don’t know, from China, from Russia, who have moved to Bangkok. So they’re an opportunity for us. And then it’s such a destination for international travelers, and this centre is a place where all sorts of travelers come to. People on holidays don’t just pass through Bangkok—they stay, they have a holiday here. So, it’s a really exciting time for us to open a store. And again, I think it’s the right time.”
#legend_th: How would you describe the design philosophy, the aesthetic of Zimmerman to someone? Especially Thai people, who are discovering your brand for the 1st time.
Simone: “That’s interesting. I think that I would hope that the Thai woman can discover us if they don’t know us already, and they can come to our store and experience the world that we like to create. So, you know, we’re very accessible online, and we know we have clients in Thailand. Even before we came into Thailand, from our digital business and other digital businesses, we knew that we had some clients who enjoyed our brand. But I think that the best time people get to know us is when they are in our own stores. So we have our décor, we have our team trained, and we are able to display the whole collection rather than pieces that are, you know, within a wholesale circumstance or in a digital way. So I think that what I hope is that the local clientele will come here and then discover us in a new way. I come in here and I go, “I haven’t seen that dress before. How did I miss that one?” I’ve actually seen them all at some point, but they’re not always in the stores at the same time. So I hope that other people have the same experience that I have as well. We’re not just selling clothes, we’re wanting to sell experiences. We’re wanting to create a time when someone is shopping with us that is enjoyable, somewhere they feel comfortable, and where they feel confident to be invited to try various different styles of clothing sometimes.”
#legend_th: Bangkok has a vibrant fashion scene, how do you Zimmerman fit into Bangkok city lifestyle and landscape?
Simone: “Well, I think that where we are here today (ICONSIAM) it’s very aspirational. There are lots of luxury brands, contemporary brands, and lifestyle brands. So I think that within this center, it’s a similar mix to other places in the world. So I think it’s a bit similar, in regards to the Thai fashion scene, I think that, like in Australia or in every country, there is always a local scene. That’s where young designers get to build their business and express their creativity. And I think that in any community, the people who live there always find a way to support their local designers, and then mix that with international design. And in this case, we’re one of the international designers. So I don’t think our customer only has one type of brand in their closet. I think they have different types of things to wear depending on their mood on that day. So I think that we’ll hopefully be a part of that mix in their wardrobe.”
#legend_th: Are there any cultural elements from Thailand that inspire you?
Simone: “Well, I would say that we’re in many culturally vibrant countries, and Thailand is one of them. You guys have a really strong sense of beauty and detail. There’s a lushness of color, a lot of embellishment, and many layers in your art, in your shrines, your temples, and even in your furniture and so forth. So I think, in a closely associated way, I see some similarities in what we do. We use a lot of color, we have a lot of detail, and we like to embellish our clothing. So obviously it’s different, and it’s not a clear, straightforward connection, but I think there’s an appreciation people may have for our clothing for those reasons. Thailand has an incredible history of silks and weaving, and from a clothing perspective, I think it’s something we love with all those details. We really treasure them. So whilst we don’t culturally align ourselves specifically to any country—we are who we are. I think all of those things are connections people can make.”
#legend_th: Zimmerman has become synonymous with modern femininity. So what does femininity mean to you today?
Simone: “What I say about femininity is that I think about strength. I think about women. ibe Nicky’s latest collection—and it became more significant over the last few days that we did in Paris—the collection is called ‘Trailblazer’. And I really think that there’s something in the way women are more able to control their destiny, manage their destiny, and create what they want to do. I think that all of those things are now a part of femininity. Yes, there’s delicate, there’s beautiful, there are all of the usual ways that you describe a woman, but I think that there’s more now that the world realizes. And I think people are also aspiring to it, and praising all of those things. And I think it’s a good time for women. There’s a lot of possibilities. Times have been very different in the past, and I think that strong women don’t necessarily mean masculine women. Sure, it can mean a very feminine human, and that’s something that I think we’re very proud of.”
#legend_th: Looking ahead, what is the next chapter for Zimmerman in Asia?
Simone: “More stores. It’s the biggest thing that we’re doing. For our business to continue to grow, we’ve opened a lot of stores in the last few years, but that was because we didn’t have stores in a lot of places, so there was so much opportunity for us. So now we’re able to open—for example—our first store in Thailand, and then we’re able to look at a second store in Bangkok. We’re able to think of resort locations like Phuket. So it’s exciting for us now to start with one store, but to build a cluster of stores in that city where it makes sense. So for us, it’s exciting to get a bit deeper, to feel a little bit more entrenched in those cities, rather than just one flag in the ground—to have more. But we are also, from a product perspective, really growing our footwear, and we’re expanding that collection. We’re very happy with how that’s succeeding. We have our bag collection, we’ve very much grown our denim and our knitwear. So we’ve got a lot of things that are obvious from the outside, but there are many things that we’re doing, just as part of the product that we create, to make it bigger and broader.”
#legend_th: What would you like the Thai customer to feel when they step into this boutique?
Simone: “At home? Welcome. I would like them to feel welcome. I would like them to feel that this is a place that they can spend time in and enjoy the experience of shopping in the stores. That would be the first part, and then I would then hope that if they did purchase something that they had the experience of enjoying it, that they had a great time wherever, they went to where their memories of that item is something that’s really positive for them. And then they come back. I hope they all do.”
