Say Hello To The Highsnobiety x Zimmerli Collab
Swiss precision has long been synonymous with an unwavering commitment to quality—a philosophy built on care, intention, and an obsession with getting the details right. More than a measure of technical excellence, Swiss precision is a mindset rooted in expertise, longevity, and the pursuit of mastery through refinement.
For more than 150 years, Zimmerli has built an international reputation on mastering the essentials. Founded in Switzerland by Pauline Zimmerli in 1871, the heritage brand remains the ultimate foundation for private luxury and enduring quality. Built on the belief that the mastery of everyday essentials is an art form in itself, Zimmerli has consistently defined the parameters of exceptional comfort across premium underwear, sleepwear, and loungewear pieces.
Today, Highsnobiety and Zimmerli come together through a shared appreciation for craftsmanship, considered design, and the enduring relevance of getting the fundamentals right. Rooted in a mutual commitment to quality and cultural relevance, the collaboration explores what Swiss precision means today; not only as a hallmark of exceptional making, but as a mindset that transcends disciplines, industries, and borders.
At the heart of the first capsule is a curated selection of five elevated unisex essentials, designed to transcend seasonal trends. Leading the collection is The Perfect White T-Shirt: a masterclass in fit, fabric, and craftsmanship. Complementing the hero piece are a white long-sleeve T-shirt, fluid long and short pants, and tailored boxer shorts, together forming a refined wardrobe of everyday luxury.
Together, they reveal that Swiss precision extends far beyond a geographic marker. It is a universal commitment to thoughtful design, meticulous execution, and the continual pursuit of excellence. And to bring this philosophy to life, Highsnobiety and Zimmerli present The New Faces of Zimmerli, a campaign featuring seven creatives working across architecture, design, movement, storytelling, fragrance, jewelry, and material experimentation.
Anoe Melliou, Harumi Mumenthaler, David Roelen, Dennis, Emmanuel Amoako-Jansen, Sigurd Larsen, and LEVEL each offer their own perspective on the role that refinement, restraint, and expertise play in contemporary practice. To better understand how these values take shape in practice, we spoke with the creatives behind the campaign about the role of precision, intuition, and expertise in their own works.
ANOE MELLIOU
What's a detail in a space that people feel before they consciously notice it?
Proportions. Space is perceived through ratios, and their interdependencies. Before observing these relations, one feels instantly if a space is open, cryptic, or complex. If it’s inviting, or restricted. This isn’t because of one dimension, rather because of the comparable qualities that spaces embody. The aspect of scale, of proportions, is a detail that does not require measurement. It is an encounter that can not be perceived by images. It is perceived by being across it, or within. It is an ambiguity that is subject to presence, and is therefore emotional.
How do you balance precision with intuition when designing?
I am precise with forms, words, actions, and I’m intuitive with the concept, the setting, the parameters. Intuition is knowledge. It carries a sense of resistance. It’s an inner trust. I allow stages of the process to happen in one-to-one scale, because the effect of the encounter, the impression, and the aura of the outcome, is distinctly true. Allowing time is essential. I refrain from rushing, and I pause when I have doubts.
What role does restraint play in good architecture?
It reflects responsibility. Towards the resources, and towards the context. Restraint often derives from a well-thought narrative, and a thorough study of the conditions. It can not be simplified. It involves a skilled interpretation. It is an impressive ability to acquire. Restraint is elegant, because it implies clarity of thought, precision of intention, and confidence.
HARUMI MUMENTHALER
What does precision mean when your medium is the body?
For me, my primary focus in precision lies in the feeling and my intention, rather than in the shape of the body.Through my vocabulary I can decide precisely, what quality, texture and dynamic I want to portrait when hearing a sound.The more i experience and built my vocabulary, the more i can decide and feel free in what i want to do.
How much of performance is built on repetition?
When dancing a group show with fixed choreography, the importance of repetition before a performance holds a bigger importance for me personally, to then gain acess to the feeling of freedom during the show. When going into a performative work in a site-specific context, I appreciate to gain from the unrehearsed moments. I'm able to react to the unexpected with my impulses and vocabulary, rather than over rehearsing a certain structure.
How do discipline and freedom coexist in your practice?
Discipline allows me to move freely through my mind and body. This means for me to recognize parts of me that I have to work on and to show up for myself and my dance. To reflect but then also to put it into action, is the cycle that allows me to break limitations within myself, to then access the feeling of freedom.
DAVID ROELEN
How do you know when a fragrance is balanced?
I think about the mood I want to evoke when writing a concept. And I know it's there once I stop thinking. The logic disappears and what's left is a feeling.
What's the smallest adjustment that can completely change a composition?
The tone makes the music. Every addition or subtraction can make or break a composition. There are people in this industry who obsess over 0.001g adjustments, but I am way too intuitive for that. As long as the scent's message remains heard, a slight disharmony can make it even better.
Like fragrance, some things become indispensable without demanding attention. What makes an everyday object earn that status for you?
I'll challenge the premise here. Nothing meaningful ever comes without attention and intention. You will at least ask yourself "Is today a fragrance day?" or "Which scent am I today?". That alone is mindfulness and care. Like my knives, always sharp, or my old Mercedes, always starts... quality objects that require maintenance earn their status in my world.
DENNIS
What detail are you most obsessive about?
The most detail I’m obsessed about are mostly the ones that go beyond, the ones that most people overlook, for me it’s the little details like precision manufacturing or unnecessarily complicated modular systems that make the end user very happy if they have a deep enough understanding
How does working across different mediums shape your understanding of craft?
I personally feel that all mediums I’ve worked on so far have helped shape my handwork and thinking across different mediums. Oil painting for instance has helped me understand plasticity with creating sculptures in a lot of cases.
When do you know a piece is finished?
Deciding when a piece is considered finished has been a hard skill to learn that I only recently have managed to grasp, as an artist there is never a right moment to publish personal crafts. I believe that a 100% satisfaction end result can never be achieved for high achievers.
EMMANUEL
What's a detail in storytelling that audiences feel but rarely see?
The things that never get said. I'm often more interested in the space between words than the words themselves - a hesitation before someone answers, the silence after a difficult question. Those moments rarely announce themselves, yet they often carry the emotional truth of a story. In my work, including my film STILLLIEBEN, I'm drawn to what people suppress, protect, or struggle to express. Audiences may not consciously notice it, but they feel it.
How do you know when something is truly refined?
When nothing is competing for attention. A refined piece of work feels inevitable. Whether it's a scene, a film, a photograph, or a conversation, refinement happens when clarity replaces noise. That's usually the moment I stop adding and start trusting—intuition. The strongest creative work often feels effortless.
The strongest creative work often feels effortless. Do you think the same is true of the objects we live with every day?
Absolutely. The most thoughtful objects share something with great films: they don't demand attention, they earn it. There is a quality that comes with it. They fit naturally into people's lives while carrying a deeper intention beneath the surface, sometimes. It's usually the result of care, discipline, and countless decisions made long before anyone experiences the final “thing”. The less you notice the process, the more successful it often is.
SIGURD LARSEN
How do materials influence your decisions?
Materials are often the starting point of a project. Very early in the design process, We define a material palette because it shapes the character of the space and influences every decision that follows. I am interested in materials that age well and become more beautiful through use—wood that develops a patina, stone that records time, metal that gains character. We also look at local building traditions and craftsmanship, because materials are not only aesthetic choices; they connect architecture to its place, climate, and culture.
Which detail carries the most weight in a project?
The most important detail is often the one that defines how people experience a space. It could be the way two materials meet, the position of a window, or the edge of a handrail. I am fascinated by details because they translate an idea into something tangible. When a detail is resolved with clarity and logic, it can communicate the entire concept of a project in a very small gesture.
The best essentials often disappear into daily life. What qualities make a product quietly exceptional?
A quietly exceptional product feels natural to use. It does its job so well that you stop noticing it. The best products become part of everyday rituals, age gracefully, and remain relevant for decades rather than seasons. They create a calm backdrop for life instead of demanding attention.
LEVEL (LÉA ERMUTH)
What first attracts you to a material?
I'm drawn to materials that resist complete control. The most interesting ones have a certain unpredictability to them and reveal qualities only through making. Whether it's clay, metal, or a digital process, I'm interested in how a material responds when pushed beyond its intended use
How do traditional techniques inform your work today?
Traditional techniques provide a framework rather than a limitation. I often combine them with digital tools and contemporary production methods, but the underlying knowledge of craft remains essential. Understanding how things have been made for centuries allows me to question, adapt, and reinterpret those processes in new ways.
You're interested in the relationship between form and function—what elevates an everyday object from useful to meaningful?
An object becomes meaningful when it creates a lasting relationship with its user. Function may be what draws us to an object initially, but material, form, and the traces of its making are what allow it to hold significance over time. I'm interested in objects that invite repeated attention and continue to reveal something new through use.
You can shop the full collection on Zimmerli's website here.
