Christophe Cardigan

Designed in Paris

Zadig&Voltaire was founded in 1997 in Paris, and since that moment all the brand’s collections have been designed in our offices in the heart of the French capital. No sketch or silhouette, not even a print, has been designed or drawn anywhere but in Zadig&Voltaire’s nerve centre.

Stylists, designers and the heads of our workshops work hand in hand, led by our Artistic Director Cecilia Bönström, to create the pieces which have made, are making and will go on to make the brand’s success.

In order to offer you the best possible pieces, we have sought out the skills we need wherever they are located, to ensure we can have confidence, whatever the design or level of technical difficulty, and always while promoting production that is as sustainable as possible.

Why this choice of manufacturing country?

Tailored products, European know-how – Zadig&Voltaire develops its tailored pieces and its coats in Eastern Europe and Portugal. These countries, geographically very close to us, continue to be home to large-scale industry and have considerable know-how of tailored products useful to Zadig&Voltaire. Tailored products refers to suits, coats and all pieces requiring fit and particularly sophisticated finishes. In addition, these pieces are delivered hanging, on hangers, in a lorry. This way their quality is preserved and we avoid crushing epaulettes or damaging embroidery.

Tailored jackets, know-how from Ukraine - For many years, 90% of Zadig&Voltaire’s women’s tailored jackets have been produced in Ukraine, due to the country’s high-level know-how of quality tailored products. Since the start of the war, the factories, situated near to the Polish border, have continued to produce, and have done so safely so far. In the current context, we are in regular contact to ensure their good working conditions. We are supporting people by ensuring constant production, as we are aware that both individually and as a country it is essential for them to continue producing their riches.

Know-how continually being developed – Our factories in Portugal make our cotton poplin shirts and our men’s flannel shirts. We are also developing tailoring there, both men’s and women’s, as well as some styles of coat. These GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) certified factories have a reputation for excellent finishes and their pattern-making know-how. With our partner manufacturers in Portugal, we are also developing certified organic jersey, on T-shirts and sweatshirts, as well as all of our “photo print” pieces.

Knits – We produce between 5 and 10% of our knits in Italy. There we develop the season’s more complex pieces, like those in the fashion show for example, for which a lot of contact with the manufacturer is required. The geographical proximity makes it easier to discuss and make visits. The Italian factory we work with is also specialised in recycled cotton and is GRS (Global Recycled Standard) certified.