Zac Posen

Infobox Fashion Designer

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caption = Zac Posen standing in front of actress Liv Tyler.
name = Zac Posen
nationality = American
birth_date = Birth date and age|1980|10|24
birth_place = Manhattan, New York City
death_date =
death_place =
education = Parson's School of Design and Central Saint Martin
label_name = Zac Posen
significant_design =
awards = CFDA: Swarovski's Perry Ellis Award for Womenswear (2004)

Zac Posen (born 24 October 1980) is an American fashion designer.

Early life

Posen was raised in the SoHo neighborhood of lower Manhattan, the Jewish son of artist Stephen Posen and corporate lawyer Susan Posen. His interest in fashion design started early, and as a child he would steal yarmulkes from his grandparents' synagogue to make ball dresses for dolls. He attended Saint Ann's School, a private high school in Brooklyn, and in his sophomore year interned with fashion designer Nicole Miller.Spiegel, Richard (27 January 2002), [http://lucire.com/2002/0127fe0.htm "Zac to the future"] . "Lucire". Retrieved on 2007-01-08] At age 16 he enrolled in the pre-college program at Parsons The New School for Design.Tauber, Michelle; Paley, Rebecca (2003-09-15), "SEW COOL". "People". 60 (11):153-154] He graduated from Saint Ann's in 1999. For three years Posen was mentored by curator Richard Martin at The Costume Institute of The Metropolitan Museum of Art. At 18, he was accepted into the womenswear degree program at London's Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design at the University of the Arts London. During his tenure in London, Posen found that the environment was competitive, while at the same time students were given a wide berth for independent learning. In 2001, Posen constructed a gown entirely made from thin leather strips and dress-maker hooks and eyes that delivered a powerful commentary about the female figure.Trebay, Guy (2002-02-12), "FASHION DIARY; At 21, a Grasp Of Women's Clout". "The New York Times". 151 (52027):B8] The gown was acquired by the Victoria and Albert Museum and featured in their "Curvaceous" exhibition.

Career

In 2000, Posen received a big break after a dress he made for Naomi Campbell (who had heard about him from Lola Schnabel, the daughter of American artist Julian Schnabel) changed hands several times among several fashion insiders, including actress Paz de la Huerta. He is famously well-connected and has called Lola's sister, Stella Schnabel, his muse.Luscombe, Belinda; Nugent, Benjamin (2002-09-30), "BOY IN VOGUE". "Time". 160 (14):78] Through "Interview" magazine Editor-in-Chief Ingrid Sischy, Posen met his future publicist and event producer Ed Filipowski, of KCD who offered to represent him for free.

Upon returning to New York in 2001, Posen set up an atelier in his parent’s living room, while they gave him a USD$15 allowance. In October of the same year he was chosen to present a capsule collection as part of GenArt's "Fresh Faces in Fashion New York 2001." He received a grant for USD$20,000. After his first runway show in 2001, Posen was courted by fashion titans Yves Carcelle (President of LVMH Fashion Group), Sidney Toledano (Chief Executive Officer and Director of Christian Dior S.A.), and Domenico De Sole (President and Chief Executive Officer of Gucci Group NV.) [Trebay, Guy (2002-09-18), "The Rise And Rise Of a Prodigy". "The New York Times". 152 (52245):B9] Following the success of this presentation, Posen established his design studio in Tribeca. Zac Posen continues to receive awards and accolades, most notably the Council of Fashion Designers of America's 2004 Swarovski's Perry Ellis Award for Womenswear. [ [http://www.cfda.com/index.php?option=com_cfda_content&task=fashion_awards_display&category_id=31 CFDA Past Winners] ] Posen’s strong, feminine aesthetic has become a favorite of style leaders including Natalie Portman, Rihanna, Kate Winslet, Claire Danes, Cameron Diaz, Jennifer Lopez, Helen Mirren, Mischa Barton, Beyoncé Knowles, and many more.

In 2004, rapper and clothing designer Sean Combs made an investment deal with Posen. [Agins, Teri (2004-04-20), "Mainstreaming Hip-Hop". "The Wall Street Journal". 243 (77):B1-B3] Ashley Olsen interned with Posen in 2005 while a student at The Gallatin School of Individualized Study, an undergraduate college within New York University. [No byline (2005-03-21), "Working Women". "People". 63 (11):83]

In April 2008, Posen's capsule collection created in collaboration with Target, Zac Posen for Target, was released in 75 stores in Australia. [ [http://www.fashionising.com/diary/b--Zac-Posen-for-Target-Australia-1050.html Zac Posen for Target Australia] Fashionising.com, 13 March 2008] A [http://www.fashionising.com/diary/s--LOreal-Melbourne-Fashion-Festival-Zac-Posen-for-Target-Runway-1305-1.html preview of the collection] was shown during March's L'Oreal Melbourne Fashion Festival as one of the fashion week's headline catwalks.

References

External links

* [http://www.zacposen.com/ Zac Posen's official website]
* [http://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/15/garden/15pose.html "For Zac Posen, A Refuge From the Runway"] , a 2005 article from the "The New York Times" (Requires registration)
* [http://www.fashionising.com/industry/b--Zac-Posen-for-Target-and-on-target-1076.html "Zac Posen: for Target and on target"] , a 2008 interview from Fashionising.com about Posen's range for Target and his opinions of fashion
* [http://www.fashionvue.com/articles/zac-posen.htm Zac Posen bio] , at FashionVue.com
* [http://lucire.com/2002/0127fe0.htm "Zac to the Future"] , 2002 interview in "Lucire" magazine
* [http://www.designerfashion.biz/archives/2007/04/25/fashion-designer-zac-posen/ "Ma Vendeuse", a short film produced by Zac Posen and directed by Lola Schnabel]
* [http://www.showbuzz.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/02/08/style/main2446613.shtml Showbuzz biography]