Why did Zadig & Voltaire lose its wings? As soon as he arrived, the new creative director Dan Sablon rethought one of the brand’s most recognizable emblems.

The Parisian label, which will celebrate its 30th anniversary next year, has just appointed Dan Sablon as creative director, succeeding the longstanding Cecilia Bönström, who had held the position since 2006. The beginning of a new era, immediately set in motion with the presentation of the Fall–Winter 2026 collection during Paris Fashion Week.

Sablon’s trajectory is an unusual one. Before stepping into design, he worked across several influential editorial offices, including Lui, i-D Magazine and Vogue France, notably as Culture Director-at-Large. Yet the move is not entirely unprecedented. He joins a lineage of fashion insiders who transitioned from media to creative leadership, such as Carine Roitfeld and Ibrahim Kamara, currently leading the creative direction at Off-White.

In the courtyard of the Musée Galliera, Sablon presented his first collection. To make an immediate statement, he chose to strip away one of the house’s most recognizable signatures-arguably its defining logo element: the famous wings. In their place, nothing. Only the brand’s name remains.A small detail, yet one loaded with meaning. The subtle shift nonetheless marks the beginning of the Sablon era at Zadig & Voltaire.

The Fall–Winter 2026 collection features slightly grunge silhouettes infused with a deliberate nonchalance, recalling high school exits in the early 2010s. Light-wash denim, plaid shirts and crossbody bags sketch a daytime wardrobe soon replaced by a sequence of party-ready looks. Sequins, sheer maxi and mini dresses, and leather jackets shape a wardrobe that is both sexy and commercially minded. And that is precisely the challenge behind appointing the former Director-at-Large: boosting revenues while meeting the expectations of a brand that aimed to reach €550 million in turnover by 2025, while strengthening Zadig & Voltaire’s presence on the fashion scene.

Within this context, Sablon’s mission takes on its full meaning. By removing the wings from the logo, he is not merely altering a graphic detail-he is confronting one of the house’s most recognizable symbols. A gesture suggesting that renewal will not come from clothing alone, but from a broader redefinition of the brand’s identity. The only question now is whether, by taking the wings away from Zadig & Voltaire, Dan Sablon might end up burning his own.