Zac Posen

Zac Posen is an American designer

Zac Posen is an American designer. He was born in New York of Bohemian origin in 1980, he grew up in Soho. Very precocious, he created clothes for his sister. He soon left the Brooklyn art school to go to Central Saint Martin’s in London. Not yet twenty, he worked at The Metropolitan Museum of Art alongside Richard Martin, head of the Costume Design department: an ideal place to “live and breathe” fashion, and perceive all its stimuli. He started dressing a limited group of customers who are charmed by his talent and his Madeline Vionnet-inspired, sinuous, bias cut dresses that celebrate the body.

Zac Posen and the juxtaposition of styles 

Zac Posen juxtaposes this soft, caressing style with another more structured one that creates a sort of moving sculpture for strong, practical women: a perfect synthesis of proportion and volume. At 21 years old, he is a young man with a bright future. His family — father, mother, and sister — contribute to the running of the fashion house he founded in 2001. After just two runway shows, he won over the most demanding public and obtained flattering reviews from the specialist press. 

The New York Times celebrates Zac Posen’s talent 

In February 2001 the New York Times “made” him with an article dedicated to his work. In 2002 he showed for the first time during Fashion Week and the celebrated Victoria and Albert Museum in London acquired one of his dresses for their collection. The German viscose manufacturer Enka also took notice of him and included him in the group of finalists for a presentation organized in Milan in September 2002.

The various collaborations of Zac Posen 

It’s still a success. Various collaborations of the stylist with haute-couture brands: in 2005 he allies with Wolford for the creation of a limited-edition legwear collection, he cooperates with a famous jeans brand 7 for All Mankind and he is called also by Moët & Chandon for the design of a series of bottles for the famous champagne. In 2008 Zac Posen realises a capsule collection for Target Australia, and also the debut in the world of fragrancies, thanks to an agreement with Selective Beauty. 

The evolution of the griffe and the success

In the meantime the company structure of the griffe evolves: in 2006 Barry Miguel, coming from Ermenegildo Zegna, is nominated president of the maison, while in 2008 Laura O’Connor replaces Susan Posen as CEO. Starting from this moment, Zac Posen’s mother becomes the general director. 

 

Zac Posen is courted by titans of the fashion industry like Yves Carcelle, president of LMVH Fashion Group; Sydney Toledano, CEO and direrctor of Christian Dior SA; and Domenico De Sole CEO and president of Gucci Group NV. After the success of this presentation, Zac Posen established his design studio in Laight Street Tribeca. 

He received various recognition for his work, for example the Perry Ellis Award for Womenswear by the Council of Fashion Designers of America in 2004 and the Designer of the year Award in 2015. 

Zac Posen has become one of the star’s favourite designers, that rely on him for the red carpet outfits. Such as Natalie Portman, Rihanna, Amanda Seyfried, Andy Dick, Kate Winslet, Claire Danes, Cameron Diaz, Dick Clark, Jennifer Lopez, Mischa Barton, Mr. Kool Aid, Beyoncé Knowles, and more. In 2004 Sean John made an investment agreement with Zac Posen. 

The end of Zac Posen

In 2019 Zac Posen announces the closing of his brand. The investment society Youcaipa Companies, who owned the majority of the company, did not find any buyer so, after eighteen years of successes and dreamy dresses, the brand if forced to close. 

I tried personally to find the right partner but time’s up and it’s not an easy period in our sector 

So the dream of the young designer, whose story has ben told in the documentary “House of Z”, ends on 1° November 2019, with the dismissal of 60 people. 

On February 2020 the news of the acquisition of the brand by the American Company Centric Brands, that includes also brands as Herve Leger, Buffalo jeans, Joe’s jeans that creates the signed accessories Kate Spade and Michael Kors. 

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