Collaboration seems too official and stiff a word for the small but distinct collection of rings, cuffs and necklaces designed for French brand Zadig & Voltaire by Gaia Repossi, the young creative director of French fine jeweler house Maison Repossi. CEO of Z&V Thierry Gillier just noticed one of his friend’s wearing Repossi’s jewellery and that’s how this ‘Metamorphosis’ collection was conceived. Repossi’s tender age of 24 had never tackled mass market jewellery beforehand but found the experience satisfying: “It’s so great to see pieces with my signature on it that will be worn by a lot of people.”  That signature consists of leaf-like formations with holes burnt through, in a burnished silver/gold effect that are used to great effect in thick cuffs and double rings connected with a hinge to wrap over the finger

Indeed, Zadig & Voltaire’s spread of casual yet cool at decent prices with ten stores in London alone has been rapid and collaborations such as Repossi’s presented along with the A/W 11-12 collection (plenty of fur, leather and sexy vibes) during Paris Fashion Week will only spur it along. Zadig & Voltaire’s current spokesperson, face and soon-to-be collaborator Erin Wasson was also present having just flown in from Australia and gave little away about her upcoming collection for the French brand only saying “I think people know my style and they know the sort of thing that I will do.” When asked how it compares with designing for RVCA, which ended last year, Wasson says “RVCA was a surf and skate brand and with Zadig & Voltaire, there’s so much more scope to do what I want.”

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