Zimmerman Fall 2021

The fashion industry, so hard-hit by COVID-19, is seeing that somber mood of the health pandemic reflected in their designs. That said, Zimmerman’s fall 2021 collection is a breath of fresh air with a color palette veering from bright pinks to pastels and exuberant psychedelic prints clearly inspired by the ’70s. That jewel encrusted minidresses are screaming for a night on the town at a time when restaurants are only at 25% capacity.

The collection consisted largely of variations on her signature minidresses trimmed with lace or ribbons featuring Victorian collars, keyhole cutouts, and puffy mutton sleeves. If minidresses seem an odd choice for fall remember that ‘Down Under’—Nicki Zimmerman is from Australia—the seasons are opposite of the North Hemisphere so it’s their spring. 

The full-length dresses were oddly reminiscent of the 70’s brand Gunne Sax with peasant- inspired silhouettes without the muted palette. Instead Zimmerman incorporated bright pinks or cosmetic prints accenting wine-colored backgrounds. Multiple plaid pantsuits in bright pinks, mustard yellows, and browns with pussy bows blouses are looks that consumers will find quite groovy.

Zimmerman said the collection was largely inspired by “Countdown,” a music program that aired in the 1970s featuring the music of Abba, Blondie, and The Stooges. This 70s aesthetic presented itself in jeans with eschewed washes with flared legs paired with hip-length, peasant blouses.

Where the collections really seemed to get lost was in the coats. Again, autumn in Australia is quite warm so perhaps this is a nod towards American consumers. The collection featured several full-length, duster coats. The most effective was a bright pink plaid over a win- red pantsuit. Another standout coat was a chocolate brown leather coat that looked like it walked right off the set of “Shaft.”

 There was also a shiny black leather duster coat over black shirt and culottes. Yes, culottes.  There was only one pair of culottes in the entire collection. Oddly, the fashion industry has been trying for years now to make culottes a trend and consumers won’t stop saying “No!”

Still, it will be interesting to see how American consumers respond to this collection which was clearly meant for free-wheeling, good times. While America is getting closer to more vaccinations with Johnson & Johnson recently announcing they had developed a new single dose vaccine, we’re not quite there, yet. 

Cameron Grey Rose