After five years of showing in New York City, Zadig & Voltaire made a surprise return to Paris to present its fall 2022 collection at Musée des Arts Décoratifs. Inspired by the brand’s French DNA and the social movements of the 1960s, the collection marks a return to the libertine luxury of its rebellious roots.
Creative director Cecilia Bönström wove a nostalgic bohemian cool into the collection with embroidery, openwork organdy, floral motifs, and shearling details. This artisanal look manifested as sweater coats and ponchos with fringe, suiting in juxtaposed tapestries, and airy, semi-sheer blouses. Silhouettes leaned long, layered, and fluid, and moved expressively with the body.
While the lacework and embroidery recalled the visual code and free spirit of artists, other looks hinted toward gender-fluid glam. Oversized sequined suits in green, gold, and navy glittered in the lineup, while sharply tailored velvet offered a more subdued approach. Crumpled suede jackets and wide, low-slung leather trousers in black and silver were designed to pair playfully in any wardrobe — modern staples with an instantly iconic appeal.
Zadig & Voltaire’s core aesthetic extended to seasonal accessories as well, with the Cecilia bag and Rockyssime bag in suede or soft leather, the signature Joe boot, and Mule Alpha slide sandals in hairy lambskin.
"The pieces are meant to be experienced," the brand said in the collection manifesto. "To be lived in and worn out." As Zadig & Voltaire return to their metaphorical and regional roots for fall, their dual embrace of an iconic past and contemporary global trends feels both timely and timeless — a nod to the digitally-centered generation now discovering the label. In their words: “La Liberté! Encore.”
