I recently had the opportunity of a lifetime to purchase a second hand Zac Posen dress from his Spring/Summer 2019 Resort Collection for a very, very reasonable price. This is probably not that exciting for most of you, since Zac Posen is one of those designers that very few know the name of despite nearly everyone having seen at least one of his iconic designs. I decided that I would do my absolute best to rectify this in the teeny little section of the internet that I have control over. Zac Posen has been one of my all time favourite designers for many years, a fact that you may know if you know me in person. His designs are classic and vintage inspired, and have been worn by Dita Von Teese, Rihanna, Naomi Campbell, Claire Danes, Princess Eugenie, and many others. Although he had multiple lines under his name, you will likely know him from the incredible red carpet looks he has created over the years. Posen started incredibly young, starting his brand in 2002. He immediately caught the attention of Anna Wintour and other fashion royalty. Natalie Portman wore a dress from his first collection to the 2002 Tribeca Film Festival for the premier of "Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones," and his dresses have been worn on the red carpet every year since. His gowns have been worn at the Met Gala, Academy Awards, Cannes Film Festival, Grammy Awards, and basically every other major red carpet event you can think of by the biggest stars. His company was forced to close in 2019, but I am hopeful that he will come back to stun everyone with his classic, vintage inspired designs.
Starting with one of the earlier iconic moments (and the one that introduced me to Posen) is Claire Danes' glowing Met Gala dress from 2016. Zac Posen has been quick to embrace wearable technology, so I got to know this dress very quickly when I started working with MakeFashion (a wearable technology fashion show). This dress was immediately famous. Not only was it a stunning design on the red carpet, but later in the evening it lit up, thanks to fiber optic lights and 30 miniature battery packs. This dress took over 500 hours to make, and it showcases Posen's attention to detail. He really could have gotten away with a very simple design due to the light show, but he kept his characteristic seaming and unique draping methods so that the gown is just as elegant in broad daylight. This dress perfectly reflected that years theme of the Gala, 'Manus X Machina.'
A more recent gown that is still brought up time and time again is Rihanna's red gown in Ocean's 8. I find this so frustrating because the designers name is very rarely mentioned, yet it is such an iconic moment in the film. Posen himself is actually in the film, sitting at the same table as Anne Hathaway's character. I have seen this dress all over Instagram, and the off-the-shoulder mixed with a mermaid shape seems to catch everyone's attention. Posen often uses jewel tones and rarely uses patterns, even in his ready-to-wear collections. I would also like to draw attention to those beautiful seam lines that enhance the hourglass silhouette from the bust to the knee.
You may also recognize this fabulous, 17th century inspired, hot pink dress worn by Sarah Jessica Parker to the 2019 New York City Ballet Fashion Gala. If you read Vogue or love Sex and the City, you will probably have seen photos of this fantastically bright gown. This is a little different from the most common Posen gowns since it is less structured, but he has actually used this historically inspired shape in multiple collections, pairing a stay-shaped bodice with huge sleeves.
My favourite Posen Met Gala look is actually from my favourite Met Gala, which was in 2011 with the theme of "Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty" (McQueen just happens to be another one of my all time favourite designers). He created this incredible black lace dress for Christina Ricci, and it perfectly captures Victorian morbidity mixed with modern silhouette. One thing that I love about this is how clearly you can see those seam lines in the black lace. When most designers would use a single dart or seam, Posen always adds complexity to the design at the same time as enhancing the shape of the wearer. I especially love the sort of scallop-shape at the beginning of the volume at the knee, adding some interest to an already fascinating design.
And finally one of his most recent iconic moments! Zac Posen designed this elegant wedding dress for Princess Eugenie when she got married in 2018.
Zac Posen has been a staple at every Met Gala for years, and has produced some of the most incredible ballgowns created in the present day. Who else could capture that glamour of old Hollywood while modernizing it with wearable technology at the same time? I was actually really devastated to hear that he was closing his label since he has been a role model for me for many years now. If you had the time and motivation to go through my very large Pinterest boards, you would find Zac Posen gowns pinned on them long before I had ever heard his name before. It is so uncommon to find the quality of craftsmanship that his atelier's had, with such attention to each tiny detail. His atelier was run in a very traditional way which allowed for perfectly tailored dress suits (if you want a Mrs Maisel styled pencil dress and short jacket, Posen is your man!), flowy bias-cut dresses, and masterpieces of draped silk.
I think that the importance of fashion is often downplayed, and the love of fashion is often treated as vain and silly. I understand that there are so many things in the world that are desperately in need of attention and help, and that there are things that are far more important than looking at pretty dresses, but I also whole-heartedly believe in the magic of fashion. The first time that I saw a ballgown from Zac Posen's runway show, I got tears in my eyes because his gowns are so truly magical. Each piece has so much skill and love and time put into it, and it shows. I always wait with bated breath for the Met Gala to arrive because it is an incredible escape. I am not saying that fashion is perfect in any way, the industry has so many massive issues that need to be addressed (the environmental factors, human rights issues, fast fashion, sexism and racism, etc, etc). However, I would like to take this time today to admire the workmanship that design requires, and to thank beautiful dresses for being a small escape from weird, not so good times.
Do you have a favourite designer who never fails to make you gasp in delight?
Thank you for reading,
Katherine
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