Zadig & Voltaire
Zadig and Voltaire is a French ready-to-wear clothing brand, which opened its first store in Paris in 1997. The company’s owner, Thierry Gillier, is a Parisian native and is the great-grandson of Andre Gillier, one of the founders of the sportswear company Lacoste. His family owned one of the largest knit factories in France, which provided the perfect foundation for a young Gillier to experiment with luxury fabrics. he started breaking and cutting cashmere in ways you normally wouldn’t. Unlike his forebears, who adhered to a more sober aesthetic, Gillier hoped to bring dynamism to fashion that was inspired by the rebellious styles of Patti Smith and Marianne Faithfull.
The name of the company is derived from the Enlightenment era writer Voltaire and the protagonist of the novel Zadig ou la Destinée, Zadig. [1]
According to Gillier, Zadig & Voltaire was built on synthesizing the quaint and casual with the luxurious. Five years after breaking ground on the first store, Cecilia Bönström—a Swedish model who had been working in Paris and Rome—became captivated by Gillier’s new fashion line. She asked to join Gillier in growing his brand, she joined his team and eventually became his partner and wife. Bönström took creative control of the company in 2006, and under her leadership, Zadig & Voltaire grew and began to amass a cult following among women who were drawn toward designs that straddled the boundary between masculine and feminine; comfortable relaxed wear that was refined and renowned. Together, the Gilliers designed pieces that have since become staples, the go-to items for the modern Parisian cool girl and those who sought to emulate that aesthetic. The ‘ready-to-go’ designer style of Zadig and Voltaire is unique in its “boho-chic” style that started with cashmere sweaters. The brand incorporates lace-paneled camisoles, teddy coats, and slouchy knits to enlighten the fashion industry with casual - formal wear. [2]
Expansion
Since its birth in 1997, Zadig & Voltaire has expanded outside of France to the United States and Asia. In 2005, Zadig & Voltaire began to expand into the greater China market.[3] The brand reached Japan in 2006, and Hong Kong in 2008. As of 2018, the Brand operates 378 stores across the globe. Zadig & Voltaire’s senior management said that the label’s menswear is well-received on the American market, and could easily account for 50% of sales in Asia.[4] Zadig and Voltaire ranked number 95 in the Frances top 500 fortunes in 2019 with a 1,000 million Euro fortune. [5] Zadig and Voltaire is the second largest fashion line in France, by revenue.
Products
Originally branded as a fashion line for women, and has transitioned into a more diverse company supplying perfumes, shoes, and leather goods. The company opened a new line for men in 2004 and another for children in 2006. [6]
Controversy
In 2014, Gillier gave an interview to commemorate the opening of Zadig & Voltaire Hotel on Rue de Grenelle in Paris. In the interview, he explained to the Women's Wear Daily, that not everyone would be able to stay there, stating that “it will be a somewhat private hotel, which will not be open to all. We will select the guests. It will not be open to Chinese tourists, for example." [7] In response to the backlash he provoked, Gillier apologized to China in a press release. "These reported words do not reflect my thinking or my ethics. The words are flashes of lightning, my words were undoubtedly awkward and, taken out of context, I understand that it could have hurt my friends from China, France or elsewhere, for which I am deeply sorry" Thierry Gillier also assured that this hotel, which should have 40 rooms, "will obviously be open to Chinese tourists as well as to all from here and elsewhere." The hotel has hosted many individuals from China.[8]
References
External links
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