Zadig & Voltaire makes glasses with L'Amy

Set up in 1997 by Thierry Gillier and famous for women’s knitwear, the French brand is joining forces with France’s L'Amy for the launch of the first collection of prescription glasses. “We’re now at the final stages of the agreement”, Zadig & Voltaire creative director Carol Gerland told MFF, “and we plan to debut on the market in 2010”. The agreement with the eyewear company, which has a small turnover of €3 million, but whose portfolio still has the licenses of brands of the caliber of Kenzo, Chloé, Sonia Rykiel and Levi's, will be for vision frames only. Unlike the sun frames, which are available in three flagship stores (two in Paris and one in New York City, Ed.), 100 stores and 18 corners, all of which are directly managed, they will be distributed exclusively through the specialist opticians channel.

Zadig & Voltaire eyewear is not the only new addition in a company that has billings of €100 million. “We want to further expand our sales network because our products’ good performance will allow it, even at a time of crisis like the present”, the designer underscored. “Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom are among our main expansion objectives. We’ve been in Milan since 2008 with a window on Corso Vercelli and a space in Rinascente. But we’re looking for a new location, probably in the Vittorio Emanuele or Corso Como areas, which are more open to our kind of product. We also aim to open soon in Rome and Florence in accordance with Gillier’s idea of colonizing each market with a bunch of openings”.

While they’re waiting for the Zadig & Voltaire eyewear, aficionados of the brand can experiment with a new fragrance, Tome 1 - La Pureté (Volume 1 – Purity), the first in a series created in collaboration with Le Labo, the quasi-artisan perfume boutique/laboratory in New York City, and recently launched on the market. Or they can buy the first Playground album on the brand’s new music label, on release in the coming weeks. Soon to make its debut is a limited edition of knitwear designed in tandem with Bella Freud. “They are just a few items that Bella created based on our brand’s DNA”, Gerland concluded. “For the moment, it’s a one-shot collaboration, but we might decide to repeat the experiment in the future”.

(Source: MF)