French Fashion-Basically
Retailer Thierry Gillier has a history of giving a French twist to jeans and T-shirts.
In 1997, Gillier and wife Ameacute;lie opened boutique Zadig & Voltaire in Paris to put a French touch on a fashionable-but-basic style of jeans and T-shirts.
Their operation has grown to encompass 38 Zadig & Voltaire stores around the world. Now, the retailer is bringing its French take on basics to the United States.
On March 9, the Gilliers opened the American flagship of Zadig & Voltaire in the Sunset Plaza in Los Angeles, said Linda Ait- Khaled, the retailer’s U.S.-based project manager. The 3,200- square-foot store features a clean interior deacute;cor with white walls and gray floors.
Ait-Khaled said the retailer hopes to open five more stores in the United States by 2007. She said possible locations are New York, Las Vegas, San Francisco and Newport Beach, Calif.
The company describes its line as “affordable luxury.” Ait- Khaled said it was a good fit for Southern California.
“It’s Parisian, but it works in Los Angeles,” she said. “It works with the lifestyle here.”
Zadig & Voltaire sells its own brand of jeans, cashmere and cotton garments, predominantly for women but with a few pieces for men and children. Zadig & Voltaire also makes shoes and swimwear. Retail price points range from $170 to $240 for jeans, $300 to $340 for cashmere pullovers and $400 for handbags.
Mercedes Gonzalez, director of New York–based buying office Global Purchasing Cos., visited Zadig & Voltaire stores in France and said the move to the United States is a good choice.
“It’s well priced, and it’s not disposable clothing,” she said. “I wouldn’t be surprised if it goes head-to-head with Gap or Old Navy. They both take a style that is proven and do it to the point of saturation.”
