Zimmermann Brought Its Stylish Sydney Flair to St. Barth to Fete Its New Boutique on the Island

“We aren’t going to open a store somewhere we wouldn’t want to play too,” designer Nicky Zimmermann said with a glint in her eye, dressed in a romantic and ruffled two-piece number from her fall collection. “We weren’t going to not stay and hang out here!” Moments later, the Sydney native would jump head first into the pool at Le Toiny, the magical beach club enclave, in her full runway look and sunglasses. Proving the point that Zimmermann clothes are meant for throwing caution to the wind, diving in, and living life to the fullest.

This joie de vivre, coupled with a uniquely Australian lust for having fun and looking good while doing it, has shaped the Zimmermann label, which sisters Nicky and Simone founded in 1991. To christen its new Rue du Bord de Mer boutique that recently opened its pistachio-shuttered doors in Gustavia, the duo got a truly global girl gang together. Many of the clique who joined them in the Caribbean for the milestone have also been their collaborators (on everything from art direction to set design, styling, and music) since those early days and have helped propel Zimmermann to become Australia’s first-ever billion-dollar fashion brand. Proving both their unwavering love for the ‘Zimms’ and their appetite to see what kind of playtime the fabled island had to offer, some had taken up to five flights and traveled for over 48 hours to make it for the opening celebrations.

As mentioned, these floaty frocks, slinky swimwear, crochet sets, and printed pajama silks that the label is synonymous with are created purposefully for making memories in. As actresses and models descended on NAO on Friday evening for a sunset dinner, it wasn’t long before plates of sushi, sea bass, and lobster ravioli were abandoned in favor of the sandy dancefloor instead once the DJ lined up some party-starting Diana Ross.

Seeing as guests were armed with their new Zimmermann ‘cozzies’ picked out from the store that morning, the crystal clear water soon became the place to be, with Bridgerton star Hannah Dodd, models Bambi Northwood-Blyth and Giedre Dukauskaite, and DJ Amrit Tietz among those who legged it into the ocean for a cool-down dip.

Earlier that evening, Nicky Zimmermann had caused hoots and hollers from the crowd when she had said that that brand had held a significant policy as a non-negotiable since day one; to translate it from her more colorful Aussie parlance used on the night, they simply won’t and don’t work with anyone who’s not a joy to be around.