Erin Wasson. Zadig & Voltaire.

To be honest it was the appearance of Erin Wasson as he face of Zadig and Volataire that initated my interest in the brand, a huge fan of Erin's style it seemed like she was rocking her usual look in all the adverts as opposed to modelling a collection. This becae clear that this sort of rock and roll chick is what the brand stands for as I delved into my usual research behind the brands beginnings. Thierry Gillier is originally from Troyes, France, a reputable textile city. His father, André Gillier, is the co-founder of Lacoste. His childhood was spent in designing, making and trying on clothes. He fell in love with fashion at an early age, and decided to make it his life. He opened several multi-label clothing stores that he named "Zadig" after the Voltaire character he describes as being "charismatic, modern and courageous." He partnered with a Scottish cashmere producer to develop a line of sweaters and other pieces. In 1996, he put his first designs on sale. "Zadig & Voltaire" came into being several months later, after he met Amélie. At the time, she was attending Sciences Po (the political science university) in Paris, but shared the same passion for textiles as Gillier. She also had a feeling for fashion and a precise idea of what it should be. Compatible both personally and professionally, the future Mr. and Mrs. Gellier decided to combine his textile technique and her style and design, and Zadig & Voltaire was born in 1997. He took on Swedish model Cecilia Bonstrom as his assistant in 2003 and three years later promoted her to artistic director. Drawing on her mentor's signature rock'n'roll aesthetic, Bonstrom's designs epitomize laid-back luxe with a cool-girl twist. "Thierry Gillier believes in people with different backgrounds and not always a classic fashion education," she tells us. "And for me it was a freedom in my creation, so not having formal training was more of an advantage than a handicap really." What does she think she has brought to the label since her arrival? "Zadig is known for this loose way of 'in' dressing and since I arrived I have tried to mix that style, fusing washed cottons and loose cashmere with very strict Italian materials and very tailored jackets," she says. (Cecilia Bonstro on the left and Thierry Gillier in the middle) Erin Wasson became the new face of the French label, Erin has such a unique style that has had the oppertunity to design a collection for the brand. Wasson, who already designs a jewellery collection for her brand LowLuv, is the perfect fit for a collaboration, the company's ceo insists. "The encounter between Erin Wasson and Zadig & Voltaire was an obvious one," Thierry Ghillier. "I wanted a girl with a strong universe. Moreover, I wanted to come back to the brand's DNA. Erin is more than a supermodel, she is resolutely rock'n'roll and she is the incarnation of the relaxed chic that is the Zadig & Voltaire trademark." Wasson's spring/summer 2011 images were shot in November, 2010, in an apartment in the 9ième arrondissement of Paris by Fred Meylan. The model's capsule collection will launch later this year, and she will also appear in the brand's campaign imagery for autumn/ winter 2011-12. ZADIG & VOLTAIRE is on a quest to redefine the way of dressing women, "Zadig has really imposed a new vision of how to dress the woman in a very boyish young but still feminine way," says creative director Cecilia Bonstrom. "Zadig has its own universe and DNA, inventing a looser way to make and to wear cashmere. For example, sweaters like Atsui, our V-neck, Reglisse our round-neck with buttons on the shoulder, or our Tunisian T-shirt - they are all items that have sold well for the past ten to fifteen years and that still are so of the mood." The label has fast become renowned for its new take on luxury, fusing stereotypically delicate fabrics like lace and silk with metallic leathers, and is hit with the likes of Dree Hemingway, Josephine de la Baume, Kate Moss and Daisy Lowe, all of which have that similar style. For autumn/winter 2010, Kate Moss' boyfriend Jamie Hince and style leader Alison Mosshart of The Kills have been cast as Zadig's starring faces. "Zadig & Voltaire always want to choose people with a certain charisma and character," says Bonstrom. "We like to promote people in our way, that are not yet well known in France. Thierry Gillier, one evening, came across a concert of Alison Mosshart on TV, and was magnetised by her appearance. He knew that she and Jamie Hince would be the perfect image for us." What does the future hold for the label? "We're constantly expanding worldwide," says Bonstrom. "We have now two stores in Mercer Street in New York, and are soon opening one in Bleeker Street. Then we're also opening a shop in the best area in Singapore, and even Australia. It never ends..." Exciting stuff.