Zadig & Voltaire
ZADIG & VOLTAIRE, THE BRAND PAYS TRIBUTE TO THE FAMOUS FRENCH PHILOSOPHER
Zadig & Voltaire is a parisian ready-to-wear label founded in 1997 by Thierry Gillier. He was the grandson of Andre Gillier, co-founder of the iconic French fashion house Lacoste. Thierry Gillier was raised in a family of textile entrepreneurs, then he moved to New York to study at Parsons School of Design. In 1996, he put his first designs on sale and the following year founded the Zadig & Voltaire brand with his ex-wife Amélie.
If in the beginning Zadig & Voltaire was a women’s fashion brand, since 2004 it has a men’s line and after two years introduced a children’s line. The name of the brand is a tribute to the French writer and philosopher Voltaire, and his work The Book of Fate (Zadig ou la Destinée ). As Gillier explains: “Zadig was one of Voltaire’s characters. He was a revolutionary and told people to be themselves. Zadig & Voltaire captures the free spirit and individuality’.
Zadig & Voltaire is a fashion house characterized by an edgy, youthful style and the use of quality materials. It draws inspiration from art and musical artists such as Patti Smith, Marianne Faithfull and Jane Birkin. Her products are based on a punk-rock aesthetic, mixing very different fabrics such as cashmere, leather and denim. Clothes with a grunge flavour embody the strength and sensitivity of the modern woman.
CECILIA BÖNSTRÖM AT THE HEAD OF ZADIG & VOLTAIRE
Since 2006, Cecilia Bönström has been the brand’s artistic director (and wife of founder Thierry). Bönström is of Swedish origin and has a background as a model. Today, she manages the development of all collections (women’s, men’s and children’s) for the design studio. The designer proposes an androgynous and modern silhouette, mixing discreet luxury and comfort. She reinvents knitted fabrics, colours and types of stitching, drawing inspiration from her appreciation of vintage and rock.
The French brand embodies an idea of accessible luxury with over 300 shops worldwide and a strategic distribution network. Since 2020, the brand has entered into an agreement with the Italian company De Rigo to produce the eyewear collection with a contemporary spirit and designed for a timeless look.
In addition, the brand has collaborated with several international personalities and brands to create capsule collections. In 2019, it launched a capsule of four bags with supermodel Kate Moss. A strategic marketing choice in line with the increase in accessory sales (20% of the brand’s total sales volume is bags).
The brand is also enjoying considerable success with its fragrance lines. In 2019, Zadig & Voltaire’s sales increased by 25% year-over-year and, in particular, revenue from accessories increased by 42%.
VoltAIRe
Good Fabric has chosen to support Zadig & Voltaire in the sustainable transformation of its offer. The sustainable development direction is headed by Hélène Jessua, and the brand has decided to launch the VoltAIRe Program.
“The name of the program has in itself its main objective: to protect the air, our common good, contributing, in our small way, to make luxury a more environmentally and ecosystem-friendly activity,” explains the brand.“This program represents our commitment to helping preserve the quality of the air we breathe, fighting climate change and air pollution in all our activities.”
Zadig & Voltaire achieved sales of 350 million euros last year and has a network of 300 stores in some 30 countries.
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