Who Owns Zimmermann? The Label’s History, From Paddington Markets to Paris

Zimmermann is majority owned by Advent International, which took a majority stake in the Australian label on 8 August 2023, with Style Capital and the Zimmermann family keeping a significant minority. The label was founded in Sydney in 1991 by sisters Nicky and Simone Zimmermann, and Nicky still leads design as chief creative officer. This is how a weekend market stall became a Paris runway house with around 90 boutiques, and how the Zimmermann you shop today came to be.

Who owns Zimmermann now?

Advent International has held a majority stake in Zimmermann since 8 August 2023. Style Capital, the Milan investor that bought into the label in 2020, kept a significant minority, and so did the Zimmermann family. The terms were not disclosed. The valuation was reported at about 1.5 to 1.75 billion Australian dollars, a figure that comes from press reports, not from the company.

The ownership chain has three links:

• 2016: General Atlantic took a minority stake.
• December 2020: Style Capital bought 70 per cent of the business. The family kept the other 30 per cent, and General Atlantic exited.
• 8 August 2023: Advent International took a majority stake, with Style Capital and the family staying on as significant minority shareholders.

Nicky Zimmermann designed the first dresses herself, and she leads design today. Investors have changed three times since 2016, and the person drawing the dresses has stayed the same.

Who founded Zimmermann?

Zimmermann was founded in Sydney in 1991 by the sisters Nicky and Simone Zimmermann. In the brand’s own account of its story, Nicky designed dresses in her parents’ garage and sold them at Paddington Markets on weekends. A year later, in 1992, the label opened its first boutique, in Darlinghurst.

It is worth being precise about the start. Zimmermann began with dresses at the market. Swimwear became one of its signatures early on, but the dresses came first.

What roles do Nicky and Simone Zimmermann have?

Nicky Zimmermann is co-founder and chief creative officer, and she leads design. Simone Zimmermann is co-founder. The business side of the company has had its own chief executive since 2005.

Chris Olliver became chief executive in 2005 and moved to the role of executive chairman in 2026. On 1 May 2026, Roberto Eggs, formerly of Moncler, took over as chief executive.

Zimmermann timeline: the key dates

These are the moments that shaped the label, in order.

When did Zimmermann start showing in Paris?

Zimmermann showed in Paris for the first time on 3 October 2022, presenting its Spring/Summer 2023 collection, “Wonderland”, at the Petit Palais. Its New York Fashion Week debut came nine years earlier, in September 2013, with the Spring 2014 collection. The Fall 2026 collection was shown in Paris on 9 March 2026, at the Carreau du Temple.

Paris is a retail city for the label too. There is a boutique on rue François 1er, another on the Faubourg Saint-Honoré that opened in December 2023, and a presence at Galeries Lafayette. Pieces from the Fall 2026 collection are now arriving at Coveti, among them the Momentum Corded Mini Dress in Blue Bird Floral, a silk-linen organza dress with a corset bodice from the Trailblazer group. Our Zimmermann Fall 2026 edit covers the rest of the season.

How many Zimmermann boutiques are there?

Zimmermann has around 90 boutiques worldwide, according to a Ragtrader count from November 2025. At the time of the Advent deal in 2023 it had about 58, so the store network has grown by more than half in roughly two years.

In London there are boutiques on Bruton Street and Sloane Street. New York has stores on Madison Avenue, in the Meatpacking District and in SoHo. The first Middle East store opened at Mall of the Emirates in Dubai in 2024, and the UAE also has boutiques at Atlantis The Royal on The Palm and at The Galleria on Al Maryah Island in Abu Dhabi. Elsewhere in the Gulf you will find Zimmermann at Kingdom Centre in Riyadh, The Avenues in Kuwait and Marassi Galleria in Bahrain.

What is Zimmermann famous for?

Zimmermann sums up its own signature as “Sophisticated femininity, clever colour combinations and delicate original prints.” In practice that means dresses, which is where the label started, and swimwear, which became an early signature and still fills our Zimmermann swimwear and beachwear edit.

The range now covers full ready-to-wear. There is a dedicated denim category, with flare jeans, denim mini and midi skirts, corset and shirt dresses, jackets and shirts, many of them in the Valiant group; you can see it in Zimmermann denim. The prints are the throughline, and our guide to Zimmermann floral dresses is the place to start with them.

Whether all of this adds up to luxury is a fair question, and we answer it in is Zimmermann a luxury brand? For a side-by-side with another Australian name, read Zimmermann vs Alémais, and for putting the pieces together, see how to style Zimmermann.

Who has worn Zimmermann?

Three appearances, years apart, show how far the label travels:

• Catherine, then Duchess of Cambridge, wore the Zimmermann Roamer broderie dress at Manly Beach in Sydney in April 2014, during the royal tour.
• Taylor Swift wore an ivory floral cut-out Zimmermann dress to Karen Elson’s wedding in New York on 7 September 2024, as WWD reported.
• Queen Mary of Denmark wore a Zimmermann lace top and skirt to the opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum on 1 November 2025.

Is Zimmermann an Australian brand?

Yes. Zimmermann is an Australian label, founded in Sydney in 1991, and co-founder Nicky Zimmermann leads its design. Its ownership and its runway are now international: Advent International holds the majority, Style Capital of Milan and the family hold a significant minority, and the label shows in Paris. For where the clothes are produced, see where Zimmermann is made.

What are Zimmermann’s sustainability targets?

Zimmermann has targets approved by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), measured against a FY2020 baseline. It aims to cut scope 1 and 2 emissions by 50 per cent by FY2030, to cut scope 3 emissions from purchased goods and upstream transport by 30 per cent by FY2030, and to reach net zero across its value chain by FY2050.

Behind the targets sit a regenerative cotton programme with Good Earth Cotton from March 2024, a chemicals partnership with ZDHC and a textile-waste partnership with Seamless, both from November 2024, and a Supplier Code of Conduct. The label published its Sustainability Report 2025 in February 2026.

Frequently asked questions

Who owns Zimmermann?

Advent International has owned a majority stake in Zimmermann since 8 August 2023. Style Capital and the Zimmermann family keep a significant minority.

Who founded Zimmermann, and when?

Sisters Nicky and Simone Zimmermann founded the label in Sydney in 1991. Nicky designed dresses and sold them at Paddington Markets on weekends, and the first boutique opened in Darlinghurst in 1992.

Is Simone Zimmermann the CEO of Zimmermann?

No. Simone Zimmermann is a co-founder. Roberto Eggs has been chief executive since 1 May 2026, and Nicky Zimmermann is co-founder and chief creative officer.

Is Zimmermann an Australian brand?

Yes. Zimmermann was founded in Sydney in 1991, and co-founder Nicky Zimmermann still leads design. It is now majority owned by Advent International and shows in Paris.

What is Zimmermann famous for?

Zimmermann describes its signature as sophisticated femininity, clever colour combinations and delicate original prints. The label began with dresses, and swimwear became an early signature.

How many Zimmermann stores are there?

Zimmermann has around 90 boutiques worldwide, with stores in London, New York, Paris, Dubai and Riyadh. Its first Middle East boutique opened at Mall of the Emirates in Dubai in 2024.

Read next: our Zimmermann wedding dress guide, the day-by-day Melbourne Cup guide in Zimmermann, the Zimmermann denim guide and where to buy Zimmermann. The full collection is on our Zimmermann brand page, where every piece is authentic and Coveti ships worldwide.