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Zadig & Voltaire has mental health on its mind.
With May being Mental Health Awareness Month, the French fashion label is collaborating with artists to create custom apparel and accessories with slogans such as “Art is hope” and “Art is love.”
Zadig & Voltaire creative director Cecilia Bönström worked with artist in residence Jormi on a number of pieces from the collection including a black moto leather jacket, white long-sleeve skull T-shirt, studded handbag, camouflage scarf and white high-top sneakers.
Some pieces are direct in their hopeful messaging including T-shirts and sweatshirts that bear illustrations of hands giving the peace sign, and words like “art” and “love” while others simply pair well with the collection like camisoles, tunics and lounge pants.
Other artists slated to partner with the brand on this project include Matthew Tierney, Amanda Wachob, Archie Coates, Jeff Franklin of Play Lab, Benjamin Millepied and the L.A. Dance Project, and Jormi Graterol, the Venezuelan street artist nicknamed “The Graffiti Queen.”
Proceeds from the collection series will benefit a charity of the artist’s choosing or the National Alliance of Mental Illness, Zadig & Voltaire’s partner for the project, that is currently raising awareness and funds for mental health during and post COVID-19.

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“Because I didn’t have anything to fall back on, I had to figure out how to make it work,” said Norma Kamali, speaking at FIT’s Hue Live! event Tuesday night about her 53-year career.
“And it wasn’t easy for sure. It took 14 years before anybody outside of the underground, cult-y group of people knew who I was and what I was doing. It took a long time to get to a certain point because I decided to be independent,” said Kamali.
The designer, who graduated from FIT in 1965 with a degree in illustration, was interviewed virtually by Alex Joseph, managing editor of Hue, FIT’s magazine. Topics ranged from fashion shows and gender-fluid clothing to Farrah Fawcett, the pandemic, and an offshore manufacturing proposition.
In the past, Kamali has said she never wanted to be the richest or most famous designer.
“You have to make a decision about what’s important to you. Living a creative life was for sure very important to me,” said the 74-year-old designer, who’s best known for her sleeping bag coat, parachute collection, body-conscious clothes and daring swimwear. She understood that may not mean she’d make a lot of money or be the most famous designer. She never cared

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