Zac Posen 1980-Present

www.bonfaire.com

Biography:

Victoria and Albert Museum

Zac Posen was born October 24, 1980 in Manhattan’s trendy Soho. He began his love for fashion at an early age when he started designing on his four small plastic Sherri dolls which he called “Princess of Power”. (Designer Marathon) He was drawn into the world of theatre and made costumes for himself for theatrical performances. At an early age of twelve he began to design clothes not just for himself but for other people too.  Posen studied at a private school in Brooklyn and in his sophomore year in college he interned with designer Nicole Miller. At age 16, he enrolled into the Parsons School for Design pre-college program. At age 18 he was accepted into Central Saint Martin’s College of Art and Design which was located in London.  While in college he designed a leather dress made of brown leather strips that included only hooks and eyes. The dress exemplified his craftsmanship and his conscious approach toward women’s body contours.  The dress was later acquired by the Victoria and Albert Museum in 2001. He used a strategy somewhat like Paul Poiret used the social circuit as a means of promoting his designs in the first decades of the twentieth century. (Gurmit Matharu)  

 While still a student Posen had made himself a name to watch in the Fashion Industry. Zac Posen had his first breakthrough design in 2000, when he made a gown for Naomi Campbell, thanks to his childhood friend Lola Schnabel. After she wore the dress many other young socialites borrowed the gown and wore it to their high class events making the gown even more sought out. After finishing college he moved back to his origins in New York and turned his home into his new business with the help of his mom and his sister.

Lucy Hale Mirror Mirror Premiere (WGSN)

Amanda Seyfried Guild Awards 2013 (WGSN)

Critical Analysis:

Zac Posen Designs Empower Women

Precise tailoring is a foundation of Posen’s work. Zac is known for loving his women and the detail that he puts into his garments. To me his garments reflect designs from Stella McCartney and Oscar de La Renta. All three designers have similar techniques, from precise tailoring and sexy silhouettes. They all perform their own aesthetics in their own ways but there work is similar to one another, Zac Posen’s zeitgeist or spirit of the times is his 1940’s silhouette inspiration. His aesthetic is described as super- streamlined feminine shapes that move with the body in supple shimmering fabrics that lend a modern context in 1940’s influences. (Gurmit Matharu) For me, Zac Posen is an icon because of the way that he perceives women. He knows what women really want and he shows that in his designs. It is important for a designer to understand his designs and inspiration and not just simply to make garments that astonish. His designs empower women, and only strong women have been seen wearing his designs. The women that wear his designs are described as extremely confident and self assured of themselves. He also shows the empowerment of women through his bridal collection. It is a happily ever after moment for many women on their special day and Zac Posen can truly say he has become a big part of it.

"When a woman wears a Zac Posen gown, I want her to feel embraced and empowered, joyous and confident." – Zac Posen (Huffington Post)

Although Posen faced some bad criticism in 2008, he still managed to overcome it and push through by starting a collection with Target and Saks Fifth Avenue. He is aiming to expand his name to a wider variety of fashion. Posen looks ahead to the future and he is not willing to let himself fall. He wants to conquer the world and make it a Zac Posen Universe. 

Kelly Osbourne Golden Globes 2013 (WGSN)

Uma Thurman Met Gala 2013 (WGSN

Autumn/ Winter 2013 (WGSN)

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Autumn/ Winter 2013/14 (WGSN)

 Analysis of Future Trends: 
Zac Posen has left a mark in the fashion world with his exquisite taste and designs. His style of dress making in an old fashion sense is sophisticated, curvy, tailored, sassy, and sexy. His draping techniques and constructing techniques are foundations in Posen’s work. Zac believes that the “skinny shoulder” is a new trend and silhouette that should be used.

 I believe that Posen is leaving behind a great story for many young upcoming designers to follow. His perseverance and his strong attitude are some qualities that new designers can see and look up too. There is new talent in the fashion world and Zac Posen demonstrated how he conquered the fashion industry at a young age. Zac Posen is a fashion designer who became the next big thing before he even had his first runway show. A lasting signature silhouette that Zac Posen has left behind is his lapel jacket. It is a nice tailored jacket with a skinny shoulder. It is synched at the waist and exemplifies a women’s curves. It is fitted and structured for an ideal woman with an hourglass shape.

            In my closet I found a tailored blazer that resembles one of Posen’s designs. It is a fitted and structured blazer that I find myself wearing to an interview or when I just feel more business inspired. I love finding clothing in my wardrobe that is inspired or created by fabulous fashion designers.

Pre- Summer 2013 (WGSN)

Autumn/Winter 2013 (WGSN)

Works Cited:

Designer marathon. Dir. Elizabeth Uss. Perf. Zac Posen. Videofashion Network!, 2009. DVD.

Matharu, Gurmit. What is fashion design?. Mies: RotoVision, 2010. Print.

Santlofer, Doria. 50 contemporary fashion designers you should know. Munich: Prestel, 2012. Print.

"Zac Posen David's Bridal Collection Coming February 2014 (VIDEO)."Breaking News and Opinion on The Huffington Post. Huffington Post, 13 June 2013. Web. 1 Sept. 2013. <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/13/zac-posen-davids-bridal-collection_n_3435994.html>.

"Zac Posen." WGSN. WGSN, n.d. Web. 1 Sept. 2013. <http:/ http://www.wgsn.com.subscriptions.fidm.com/content/wgsn/unifiedsearch.html?q=zac%20posen&tags=&type=all&t=all&_charset_=utf-8 >