Zadig & Voltaire's spiffy and sexy collection

By

Godfrey Deeny

Published
Sep 11, 2017

A proper French victory in Manhattan, where Zadig & Voltaire unveiled a spiffy, spruce and sexy collection before a packed audience of It Gals – several of whom clutched brand new puppies - and hipsters in a renovated garage in Chelsea.

Zadig & Voltaire is not the typical idea of French fashion brand – it is neither grand couture, nor artily avant garde, nor icy and haughty. Instead, the house connects with the zeitgeist with racy, flattering clothes that women want to wear. There was plenty of flesh, and leg, on display in this spring 2018 collection, but just the right amount. Because the house’s creative director’s Cecilia Bönström clearly understands a woman’s body, and needs.
 
Celebrating the house’s 20th anniversary, the Swedish-born designer kicked off with a suitably playful combo – a glitter bra with metallic trim over perfectly cut black pants dissected with a metal belt and anchored by silver boots. Simple yet somehow just right.

“It’s all about the balance,” insisted Bönström, after an ideal blend of chic street and cool party wear.
 
Her best ideas were the khaki camouflage looks, either combat pants worn over glitter sling-backs and ribbed vest, or safari jackets combined, well, with rather little.  Also to be admired: mega striped loose weave sweaters and denim safari dresses. 
 
“Now, I am going to have to buy that jacket. I must!” quivered Kelly Rutherford, Blake Lively’s trophy wife mum in Gossip Girl, after a shiny green silk combat jacket cut like a dress hit the catwalk. Kelly came with a dachshund puppy called Cappuccino.
 
Entitled Let Love Rule, this collection had the snazzy and understated cool one associates with French women, and the optimism and energy of America ladies. Little wonder, the brand is on a roll in the United States. It has just opened a second uptown store on Madison Avenue; held a cocktail party in its Soho boutique in the evening; and rounded out the day with a serious party, jointly celebrating with Purple magazine in the Boom Boom Room after midnight.
 
“We have 40 stores in America now and are still growing. You know why? The Americans understand and love contemporary fashion,” said CEO Thierry Gillier.