Zoë de Givenchy was introduced to the world of fine faience by none other than the haute couturier Hubert de Givenchy.

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The late fashion designer, best known for dressing Audrey Hepburn in that little black dress in Breakfast at Tiffany’s, was Zoë’s husband Olivier’s late uncle. Throughout his lifetime, he amassed a collection of exquisite objets, including handmade dinnerware commissioned from artisans in the South of France and Venice. And it was Zoë he entrusted to his esteemed network of makers with the aim of helping keep these rare arts alive: “Every Christmas, he suggested to me: ‘Perhaps you could order a little something as a gift to keep them going throughout the winter,” recalls Zoë.

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But she went much further than that. On moving from the UK to Los Angeles almost a decade ago, the former consultant’s quest for sourcing “lovely things” for the family’s homes in Malibu and the Bahamas led her back to Hubert’s craftspeople. “The table is really the heart of a home,” says Zoë, mother of two children and two step-children. Collaborating on elegant serving sets and the perfect bamboo cutlery, subsequent requests from admiring house guests and friends for collections of their own culminated in the launch of Z.d.G. in 2019.

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Zoë’s affection for Louis XV-shaped plates and eye for delectable color combinations ensured that many of the family-run makers emerged fighting from the pandemic. “It has been a real privilege to retrace Hubert’s steps,” she says. And she’s only just getting started.

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My design philosophy

I’m passionate about celebrating traditional form and craftsmanship while reinventing design for how we live today. Blending the old with the new and the high with the low brings an aesthetic tension that I find both satisfying and beautiful.

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What inspires me

Looking back is always magical because there's a rosy glow which feels quite nostalgic, but looking forward is exciting too. My first instinct comes from things I think I need, and inspiration strikes like bolts of lightning out of the blue! I was looking at a painting in our house the other day and was influenced by the feeling of the South of France in the 1950s and 60s. I have a vintage Saint Laurent scarf from the era, and then I suddenly realized: ‘Those are the colors.’

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What differentiates our products from the rest

Nowhere in the world makes faience like this particular region in France. It’s so much lighter than porcelain yet is robust and has a beautiful, silky weightlessness to it. It’s not about being fashionable; it’s about being artisanally led. We only create objects of real beauty that are to be cherished.

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What I love about our makers

We work closely with multiple generations of families; they’re not factories and they produce at their own pace, which is part of the beauty of it. They are very guarded about their work for Hubert and are incredibly proud that they have that history with him. What I really admire is their single-mindedness: they are relentless about the perfection of their craft and have real belief in what they’re doing. There's such a freedom to their commitment, and also a beauty in it.

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The colors and materials I’m loving right now

I’ve brought earthy ochre back into production and it pairs so beautifully with lilac for spring, and darker blues for Fall. And I’m really into denim—I’ve done a denim jacquard in the past which is quite a luxurious fabric, but I’d like to explore less formal versions too. Hubert also loved denim and he used to talk very fondly about American style and how it was so ‘sportif’ and effortless.

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What I’m most excited to introduce on The Expert

Our Ramatuelle dinner plates and bowls—which feature a hand-painted bamboo rim—are wonderful pieces for everyone to have: they work in the city, in the countryside, or at the beach. You can dress them up or down, they’re like a great pair of jeans. We made great efforts to get the color and the width just right, and for it to look natural. I’m very proud of the result.

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My biggest “pinch-me” moment?

Spending days in the ateliers with artisans designing and making things, experimenting and refining colors, shapes, and sizes—how could this be called work?!

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What’s next…

We’re working on some really exciting projects, such as a partnership with a wonderful hotel in Amsterdam, and a collaboration with really bold designs for next summer.

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