Zadig & Voltaire explores contradictions at New York Fashion Week

When fashion designers and brands experiment with contrast it's usually something in the realm of color or silhouette. At their fall/winter 2018 fashion show, Zadig & Voltaire explored the concept on contradictions to create confident looks. Black was mixed with white, the shrunken with oversized, and the feminine with the masculine to create androgyny.

This collection was about the ability to turn opposites into style. The Zadig girl would pair a lace tunic with a studded leather biker jacket and call it an outfit. It's not the conventional pairing that someone that would wear a lace tunic or a leather jacket would expect, but that's what is unique about the Zadig girl, she is versatile.

This season's collection was particularly eclectic. Pieces went from rompers to blazers paired with sweaters in the blink of an eye, almost causing the audience to question who is this collection for. The answer was simply everybody.

This season's collection also had two subliminal messages about sustainability and gender non-conformity. Mohair jumpers were patched together and mended with stapes, and while it seemed like just another deconstructed look, Zadig & Voltaire was showing us how fashion can last. Boyfriend cut jackets slipped over dresses and Prince of Wales check three-piece suits were here to remind us that fashion has no gender. Gone are the days of "man" and "woman", now it's just clothes.

The collection was fearless, and dared to go there with it's new age rock sensibilities of women no longer having to follow traditional rules of dress. The Zadig girl breaks all the rules, and does so in a good outfit.

Photos: Courtesy of Zadig & Voltaire