In a play of contrasts, ZADIG & VOLTAIRE mixes yesterday’s fashion codes with today’s, channeling Sweden of the seventies into the Parisian streets of 2020. Inspirations are broad. Combinations are key. Nostalgia is a good thing, as long as it looks to the future.
After staging the spring show in Paris, artistic director Cecilia Bönström brought Zadig & Voltaire back to New York Fashion Week together with her childhood memories of Gothenburg, the colours, the paisley patterns and the floral motifs that graced the seventies. It was all about play: wild pairings and raw freedom evoke an era when one dared to dare.
Classic & vintage shapes bend gender rules. Rock’N’roll edginess triumphs, with revamped oversized tweeds, velvets and aged leather. The suit is having a reboot, playing with a profusion of styles: extra-large jackets, ankle boots and sharp trousers.
The look is both sexy and and androgynous, modern and radical. The silhouette is embellished with hammered, weathered silver jewellery, as if worm by time and habit.
Whether technical or traditional, the fabric is always key, setting the tone. From Faux fur to grained leather, knitwear or silk, it speaks for itself. The collection is aimed at the urban woman, exemplified by the collaboration with luxury activewear Ernest Leoty and its tailored bodysuits.
The line is cutting edge and bold, like the razor-sharp letters that make up the initials Z & V appearing as a monogram for the first time. Set in gold, they seal handbags, woven into jacquard wool, repeating themselves indefinitely. The logo ZV stands proudly on the timeless and classic Initial leather goods line.
