It’s hard to imagine with our digitally-saturated mindsets, but there was a time when one could only consume fashion content in the form of illustrations. Through strokes and outlines, silhouettes came alive on the page by way of imagination, and it was this often overlooked artform that insipred Nicky Zimmermann to draw up her Fall/Winter 2024 collection.

At the Pavillon Cambon, the Australian label unveiled a collection bursting with its signature zest and ornate craftsmanship. Taking cues from sketches that filled 1920s fashion publications, Zimmermann was particularly endeared to the movement they captured.

“The mood of those drawings, the magazines themselves, and how fashion was depicted in the era became a key reference point for the season,” she wrote in her shownotes. “The 20s and the dramatic way the illustrations hero volume and texture and movement are themes that run through the collection.”

A free-hand sketch by Australian actor Barry Otto created in the 70s, sourced via the Otto family, adorned the opening look—a graphic silk burnout dress with dramatic winged sleeves. Striking wallpaper prints and flapper silhouettes were modernised in plaited spaghetti-fringe draping, while delicate lace poked out of layers with a lingerie-inspired draw.

Denim, a recent signature of the house, came through in wide trouser styles and spacious blouses with pussy bows, while outwear also brought a lot to this collection. Whether faux fur coats and cropped jackets or buttery leather bombers and leopard print silk trenches, they delivered a feast of textures.  Florals appeared in moments, but this season put forward an edgier look for the label, especially when compared to the lightness of its Spring/Summer 2024 show.

The sheer presence of volume and sculptural intrigue tapped into the whimsical process of bringing ideas to reality but also demonstrated just how much more we can glean from its manifestation. Take the contrasting layers and mix-and-match of prints that may not have worked on paper but balanced retro eclecticism with a modern sophistication on the runway.