Zac Posen attends Heavenly Bodies Fashion & The Catholic Imagination Costume Institute Gala at The Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 7, 2018 in New York City.
Gallery of Zachary Posen
Ruven Afanador for Marie Claire March 2017.
Gallery of Zachary Posen
Designer Zac Posen interviews backstage before the Zac Posen fashion show at Vanderbilt Hall at Grand Central Terminal on February 16, 2015 in New York City.
Gallery of Zachary Posen
Lucy Sykes-Rellie, Plum Sykes and Zac Posen attend Book Launch Party for Plum Sykes' Party Girls Die In Pearls hosted by Brooks Brothers and Zac Posen at Brooks Brothers on May 9, 2017 in New York City.
Gallery of Zachary Posen
Arrivals at the Met Gala in New York City.
Achievements
Designer Zac Posen walks the runway at the Zac Posen fashion show during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Spring 2014 at Center 548 on September 8, 2013 in New York City.
Zac Posen attends Heavenly Bodies Fashion & The Catholic Imagination Costume Institute Gala at The Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 7, 2018 in New York City.
Designer Zac Posen interviews backstage before the Zac Posen fashion show at Vanderbilt Hall at Grand Central Terminal on February 16, 2015 in New York City.
Designer Zac Posen walks the runway at the Zac Posen fashion show during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Spring 2014 at Center 548 on September 8, 2013 in New York City.
Lucy Sykes-Rellie, Plum Sykes and Zac Posen attend Book Launch Party for Plum Sykes' Party Girls Die In Pearls hosted by Brooks Brothers and Zac Posen at Brooks Brothers on May 9, 2017 in New York City.
(Fashion designer Zac Posen takes you on a culinary journe...)
Fashion designer Zac Posen takes you on a culinary journey through his life with 100 recipes every bit as decadent and inspiring as his designs. Since he was a child, world-renowned fashion designer Zac Posen has been cultivating his passion for cooking. For Zac, cooking and fashion are both sensory experiences. Whether you’re planning a meal or a fashion line, the goal is to create a masterpiece. In Cooking with Zac, Posen shares a curated collection of his favorite recipes, gathered throughout his extraordinary life - from longstanding family favorites to flavors he has discovered while traveling the globe.
Zac Posen is an American apparel designer best known for his glamorous evening gowns and cocktail dresses. He emerged as fashion's newest star in 2002 when his alluringly feminine dresses made their New York City runway debut. Though he was still rather young to be a business owner, Mr. Posen earned enthusiastic write-ups on the pages of Vogue and other esteemed fashion magazines for his creative flair.
Background
Ethnicity:
Zac Posen has immigrant ancestors from Russia and Poland.
Mr. Posen was born on October 24, 1980 in New York City, New York, United States. He was raised in the SoHo neighbourhood of Lower Manhattan. His father, Stephen Posen, was a painter, and his mother, Susan, was a corporate attorney.
Education
Zac Posen showed an interest in fashion at an early age and was exposed to the industry through family friends and neighbours. He attended Saint Ann’s School in Brooklyn, an independent school with a heavy focus on the arts. At age 16 Mr. Posen enrolled in a precollege program at Parsons School of Design (now Parsons the New School for Design), where he studied pattern making. And at 18 he was accepted to Central Saint Martin's College of Art and Design, a prestigious design academy in London. A leather gown he made as a student project was later acquired by the Victoria and Albert Museum.
His big break in the fashion business came in 2000, when he made a gown for model Naomi Campbell, an acquaintance of his childhood friend and muse, Lola Schnabel. The sought-after gown was borrowed by a string of young socialites, each of whom wore it to a high-profile event. Though still a student who hadn't even had his first show, Mr. Posen became a fashion-industry name to watch.
After graduation, Zac Posen moved back to New York City to live with his parents, who gave him a $15-per-day allowance. He set up a workshop in the family's home, thus turning his work into a family business. His mom, Susan, gave up her law practice to work as Mr. Posen's business manager, and his older sister, Alexandra, became the label's creative director.
His first runway show in 2002, which focused on feminine and sculptured clothing designed for fashionable women, received mixed reviews. But that didn't stop the endless buzz hyping the youthful designer - then just 21 - as fashion's "Next Big Thing." Industry kingpins, including Vogue editor Anna Wintour and LVMH Fashion Group president Yves Carcelle, took a specific interest in his work. Zac Posen soon parlayed his good press and abundant connections into a career designers twice his age would envy.
With new financial backing, Mr. Posen moved out of his parents' house and into a Tribeca studio. In 2004, Sean "P. Diddy" Combs became an investor in his line, and celebrity clients such as Gwyneth Paltrow, Natalie Portman and Claire Danes began wearing his creations on the red carpet.
With his meteoric rise came an inevitable backlash. Zac Posen was criticized for paying more attention to the social part of the fashion world than to the actual garments in his line. The economic downturn of 2008 hit his business hard, with a double-digit drop in sales. Mr. Posen responded to the rough period by tightening up the company's finances and producing Z Spoke, a less-expensive line for Saks Fifth Avenue, as well as an affordable collection for Target.
Zac Posen label expanded to include handbags, shoes, accessories, and hosiery. His mother served as the company’s chief operating officer until 2010; his sister, Alexandra, a visual artist, served as creative director.
On December 18, 2012, Mr. Posen was announced to be an official judge of Project Runway Season 11 on Lifetime Television. In February 2014, he partnered with another major retailer, David's Bridal, to create Truly Zac Posen, a line of affordable bridal gowns. The line was his first official bridal collection. Also in 2014, he was named a creative director for Brooks Brothers, tapped to modernize their signature women's clothing and accessories line. In 2014, he introduced a more casual Pre-Fall 2015 Trunk Show collection.
In recent collaborations, Zac Posen was selected to redesign the uniforms for Delta Air Lines 60,000 employees. These uniforms are set to appear on Delta Air Lines staff members, from flight attendants to customer service, in May, 2018.
Truly Zac Posen wedding dress from the fall collection
Truly Zac Posen wedding dress from the fall collection
Zac Posen design illustration with watercolor
Zac Posen gold dress in honor of Magnum Ice Cream
Zac Posen fall collection sketch
Zac Posen sketch from the Pre-Fall collection
Zac Posen sketch
Zac Posen SS14 illustration
Zac Posen's Mint Mermaid Gown
Zac Posen's gown from the fall collection
Religion
Mr. Posen was born and raised in a Jewish family.
Views
Quotations:
"Listen, I'm not a rich kid. I'm a cultured kid; I'm very rich in culture."
"Fashion is killing women's body image of themselves."
"Food is everything. Food, friends, family: Those are the most important things in life."
"I have a garden, and I collect different heirloom seeds from different neighbors."
"Taking sartorial risks and not following other people is what makes you stand out."
"I'm not a chef. But I'm passionate about food - the tradition of it, cooking it, and sharing it."
"I want to make things of quality. I'm a big believer in handmade, tactile, crafted pieces. I want to keep that tradition alive."
"Don't worry about what's cool and what's not cool. Authenticity is what's cool."
"At the end of the day, you can't compete with Mother Nature. If you've got a great tomato, just a pinch of sea salt is all you need."
"For me, I'll unwind at the end of the day by soaking in Epsom salts. It's the routine I prefer for coming down after crazy days."
"I believe that creativity is an important human experience and element in the same way as sleeping, eating, having sex."
Personality
Zac Posen has always considered himself as being culturally affluent. It is his passion to dress people and to explore creativity. He doesn’t fall back in experimenting and taking risks as an artist. Concentrating on his personal life - Mr. Posen is a gay.
Connections
Mr. Posen lives in the SoHo neighborhood of Lower Manhattan with his boyfriend Christopher Niquet and their three dogs.