Zachary E. Posen (; born October 24, 1980) is an American

fashion designer Fashion design is the Art (skill), art of applied arts, applying design, aesthetics, clothing construction, and natural beauty to clothing and its Fashion accessory, accessories. It is influenced by diverse cultures and different trends and has va ...

Early life

Zachary E. Posen was born and raised in a

Jewish Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...

family in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

, residing in the

SoHo SoHo, short for "South of Houston Street, Houston Street", is a neighborhood in Lower Manhattan, New York City. Since the 1970s, the neighborhood has been the location of many artists' lofts and art galleries, art installations such as The Wall ...

neighborhood of lower

Manhattan Manhattan ( ) is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City. Coextensive with New York County, Manhattan is the County statistics of the United States#Smallest, larg ...

. He is the son of Susan (née Orzack), a corporate lawyer, and Stephen Arnold Posen, an artist. He has family roots in

Shklow Shklow is a town in Mogilev Region, Belarus, located north of Mogilev on the Dnieper, Dnieper River. It serves as the administrative center of Shklow District. It has a Train station, railway station on the line between Orsha and Mogilev. In 20 ...

, Belarus, and

Żychlin Żychlin (other rarely used names include ''Zechlin'' and ''Zichlin'') is a town in Kutno County, Łódź Voivodeship, in central Poland, about 50 north of Łódź and west of Warsaw. It has 7,964 inhabitants (2020). History The village of � ...

, Poland. His interest in fashion design started early, and as a child he would steal

yarmulkes A (plural: ''kippot''), , or is a brimless Jewish skullcap, usually made of cloth, traditionally worn by Jewish men to fulfill the customary requirement that the head be covered. It is the most common type of head-covering worn by men in ...

from his grandparents' synagogue to make ball dresses for dolls. He attended Saint Ann's School, a private school in

Brooklyn Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...

and in his sophomore year interned with fashion designer

Nicole Miller Nicole Miller is an American fashion designer and businesswoman. Miller attended the Rhode Island School of Design where she earned a BFA in Apparel Design. She studied for a year at L'Ecole de la Chambre Syndicale de la Couture ParisienneBal ...

. As a teen, he also won a Scholastic Art and Writing Award. At age 16 he enrolled in the pre-college program at

Parsons The New School for Design The Parsons School of Design is a private art and design college under The New School located in the Greenwich Village neighborhood of New York City. Founded in 1896 after a group of progressive artists broke away from established Manhattan art ...

. He graduated from Saint Ann's in 1999. For three years, Posen was mentored by curator Richard Martin at

The Costume Institute The Metropolitan Museum of Art, colloquially referred to as the Met, is an encyclopedic art museum in New York City. By floor area, it is the third-largest museum in the world and the largest art museum in the Americas. With 5.36 million vi ...

The Metropolitan Museum of Art The Metropolitan Museum of Art, colloquially referred to as the Met, is an encyclopedic art museum in New York City. By floor area, it is the third-largest museum in the world and the largest art museum in the Americas. With 5.36 million v ...

. At age 18, he was accepted into the womenswear degree program at London's

Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design Central Saint Martins is a constituent college of the University of the Arts London, a public art university in London, England. The college offers full-time courses at foundation, undergraduate and postgraduate levels, and a variety of short ...

at the

University of the Arts London The University of the Arts London is a public collegiate university in London, England, United Kingdom. It specialises in arts, design, fashion, and the performing arts. The university is a federation of six arts colleges: Camberwell College of ...

. In 2001, Posen constructed a gown entirely made from thin leather strips and dressmaker hooks and eyes that was displayed by the

Victoria and Albert Museum The Victoria and Albert Museum (abbreviated V&A) in London is the world's largest museum of applied arts, decorative arts and design, housing a permanent collection of over 2.8 million objects. It was founded in 1852 and named after Queen ...

and featured in their "Curvaceous" exhibition.

Career

Early beginnings

In 2000, Posen received a prominent career opportunity after a dress he made for

Naomi Campbell Naomi Elaine Campbell (born 22 May 1970) is a British supermodel. Beginning her career at the age of eight, Campbell was one of six models of her generation declared supermodels by the fashion industry and the international press. She was th ...

changed hands several times among several fashion insiders, including actress

Paz de la Huerta María de la Paz Elizabeth Sofía Adriana de la Huerta y Bruce (born September 3, 1984), known professionally as Paz de la Huerta (), is an American actress, model, and painter. She began her career as a teenage model before appearing in suppor ...

. He is famously well-connected and has called Stella Schnabel his muse. Through ''

Interview An interview is a structured conversation where one participant asks questions, and the other provides answers.Merriam Webster DictionaryInterview Dictionary definition, Retrieved February 16, 2016 In common parlance, the word "interview" re ...

'' 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.

''Zac Posen'', 2001–2019

Upon returning to New York in 2001, Posen set up an

atelier An atelier () is the private workshop or studio of a professional artist in the fine or decorative arts or an architect, where a principal master and a number of assistants, students, and apprentices can work together producing fine art or vi ...

in his parents' living room, while they gave him a

USD$ The United States dollar (symbol: $; currency code: USD) is the official currency of the United States and several other countries. The Coinage Act of 1792 introduced the U.S. dollar at par with the Spanish silver dollar, divided it int ...

15 allowance. In October of the same year, he was chosen to present a

capsule collection A capsule wardrobe is a minimalist collection of clothes that can be put together in different ways to cover a variety of outfits and occasions. The aim is to have an outfit suitable for any occasion without owning excessive items of clothing. Thi ...

as part of GenArt's ''Fresh Faces in Fashion New York 2001.'' He received a grant for $20,000. After his first runway show in 2001, Posen was courted by fashion titans Yves Carcelle, president of LVMH Fashion Group; Sidney Toledano, CEO and director of

Christian Dior S.A. Christian Dior SE (), commonly known as Dior, is a French multinational luxury goods company that is controlled and chaired by French businessman Bernard Arnault, who also heads LVMH. , Dior controlled around 42% of the shares and 57% of t ...

; and

Domenico De Sole Domenico De Sole (born 1944) is an Italian businessman, chairman of Tom Ford International, current director of Acamar Partners, former chairman of Sotheby's, and former president and CEO of Gucci Group. Early life Domenico De Sole was born in ...

, president and CEO of Gucci Group NV. Following the success of this presentation, Posen established his design studio in Laight Street

Tribeca Tribeca ( ), originally written as TriBeCa, is a neighborhood in Lower Manhattan in New York City. Its name is a syllabic abbreviation of "Triangle Below Canal Street". The "triangle" (more accurately a quadrilateral) is bounded by Canal Str ...

. Posen has become a favorite of

Natalie Portman Natalie Hershlag{{efn, Some Hebrew sources claim that her birth name was "Neta-Lee Hershleg" ({{langx, he, נטע-לי הרשלג) and later, her first name was Americanized to "Natalie". {{Cite news , last=Shamir , first=Oron , date=August ...

Rihanna Robyn Rihanna Fenty ( ; born February 20, 1988) is a Barbadian singer, businesswoman, and actress. One of the List of music artists by net worth, wealthiest musicians in the world, List of awards and nominations received by Rihanna, her vario ...

Amanda Seyfried Amanda Michelle Seyfried ( ; born December 3, 1985) is an American actress and singer. She began acting at 15, with a recurring role as Lucy Montgomery in the CBS soap opera ''As the World Turns'' (1999–2001). She came to prominence for he ...

Kate Winslet Kate Elizabeth Winslet (; born 5 October 1975) is an English actress. Primarily known for her roles as headstrong and complicated women in independent films, particularly period dramas, she has received numerous accolades, including an Ac ...

Claire Danes Claire Catherine Danes (born April 12, 1979) is an American actress. Prolific in film and television since her teens, she is the recipient of three Primetime Emmy Awards and four Golden Globe Awards. In 2012, ''Time (magazine), Time'' named he ...

Cameron Diaz Cameron Michelle Diaz (born August 30, 1972) is an American actress. Prolific in both comedy and drama, Cameron Diaz filmography, her films have grossed over $3 billion in the U.S. box-office. Her output of romantic comedies in the late 1990s a ...

Jennifer Lopez Jennifer Lynn Lopez (born July 24, 1969), also known by her nickname J.Lo, is an American singer, songwriter, actress, dancer and businesswoman. Lopez is regarded as one of the most influential entertainers of her time, credited with breaking ...

Mischa Barton Mischa Anne Marsden Barton (born 24 January 1986) is a British-American film, television, and stage actress. She began her career on the stage, appearing in Tony Kushner's '' Slavs!'' and took the lead in James Lapine's '' Twelve Dreams'' at ...

Beyoncé Knowles Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and businesswoman. With a career spanning over three decades, she has established herself as one of the most culturally significant figu ...

and others. In 2004, fashion brand

Sean John Sean John is a privately held fashion lifestyle company created by music mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs, Sean John "Diddy" Combs. The line made its fashion debut with a men's sportswear collection for the spring 1998 season. In 2016, the brand had ann ...

made an investment deal with Posen.

Ashley Olsen Ashley Fuller Olsen (born June 13, 1986) is an American businesswoman, fashion designer and former actress. She began her acting career at the age of nine months, sharing the role of Michelle Tanner with her twin sister Mary-Kate Olsen in the ...

interned with Posen in 2005 while she was a student at

New York University New York University (NYU) is a private university, private research university in New York City, New York, United States. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded in 1832 by Albert Gallatin as a Nondenominational ...

. In April 2008, Posen's capsule collection created in collaboration with

Target Target may refer to: Warfare and shooting * Shooting target, used in marksmanship training and various shooting sports ** Bullseye (target), the goal one for which one aims in many of these sports ** Aiming point, in field artille ...

, Zac Posen for Target, was released in 75 stores in Australia. A preview of the collection was shown during March's L'Oreal Melbourne Fashion Festival. At the 2012 Academy Awards,

Glenn Close Glenda Veronica Close (born March 19, 1947) is an American actress. In a career spanning over five decades on Glenn Close on screen and stage, screen and stage, she has received List of awards and nominations received by Glenn Close, numerous ac ...

wore a Posen gown on the red carpet, as did both

Reese Witherspoon Laura Jeanne Reese Witherspoon (born March 22, 1976) is an American actress and producer. She is the recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Reese Witherspoon, various accolades, including an Academy Award, a Primetime Emmy Aw ...

and

Naomi Watts Naomi Ellen Watts (born 28 September 1968) is a British actress. Known for her work predominantly in independent films with dark or tragic themes, she has received various accolades, including nominations for two Academy Awards, a Primetime ...

at the 2013 Golden Globe Awards. Other notables who have worn Posen creations on red carpets include

Uma Thurman Uma Karuna Thurman (born April 29, 1970) is an American actress. She has performed in a variety of films, from romantic comedies and dramas to science fiction and action films. Following her appearances on the December 1985 and May 1986 cover ...

at the 2013 Met Ball);

Sofia Vergara Sofia is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria. It is situated in the Sofia Valley at the foot of the Vitosha mountain, in the western part of the country. The city is built west of the Iskar river and has many mineral springs, such as the ...

at the 2014 Golden Globes;

Anna Chlumsky Anna Maria Chlumsky ( ; born December 3, 1980) is an American actress. She began acting as a child, and first became known for playing Vada Sultenfuss in the film '' My Girl'' (1991) and its sequel, '' My Girl 2''. Following her early roles, she ...

at the 2014 Emmy Awards; and

Rita Ora Rita Sahatçiu Ora (; born Rita Sahatçiu; 26 November 1990) is a British singer-songwriter, television personality, and actress. Born in Pristina, modern-day Kosovo, she rose to prominence when she featured on DJ Fresh's 2012 single, "Hot Rig ...

at the 2014 AMA Awards. Montage of new Delta Air Lines employee uniforms

In February 2014, Posen partnered with another major retailer,

David's Bridal David's Bridal is a clothier in the United States that specializes in wedding dresses, bridesmaid dresses, prom and homecoming dresses, ''quinceañera'' dresses, flower girl dresses, other formal wear, and alterations. Until filing for bankruptc ...

, to create Truly Zac Posen, a line of affordable bridal gowns. The line was Posen's first official bridal collection. In 2014, he introduced a more casual Pre-Fall 2015 Trunk Show collection. In 2018, Posen was selected to redesign the uniforms for

Delta Air Lines Delta Air Lines, Inc. is a Major airlines of the United States, major airline in the United States headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia, operating nine hubs, with Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport being its ...

60,000 employees. But just two years later, the airline jettisoned Posen's Purple Passport line after numerous flight attendants claimed the fabric was causing skin rashes and other allergic reactions. In 2018, Posen designed the blush silk gown

Princess Eugenie of York Princess Eugenie, Mrs Jack Brooksbank ( ; Eugenie Victoria Helena; born 23 March 1990) is a member of the British royal family. She is the younger daughter of Prince Andrew, Duke of York, and Sarah, Duchess of York. She is a niece of King Cha ...

wore for her evening wedding reception. On November 1, 2019, House of Z and Z Spoke, the fashion brand owners of Posen's company, announced an immediate closure of the label. The closure occurred soon after it was announced on August 6, 2019, that

Barneys New York Barneys New York is an American brand founded in 1923 by Barney Pressman that operated full-line department stores from 1923 until 2020. Authentic Brands Group acquired Barneys' intellectual property in 2019, and has licensed the brand to Saks F ...

, a major client of Posen's company, had filed for bankruptcy. Shortly after, Centric Brands reportedly acquired the Zac Posen trademark at auction.

''Brooks Brothers'', 2014–2020

In 2014, Posen was named Creative Director for

Brooks Brothers Brooks Brothers Inc. is an American clothing brand founded in 1818 which is the oldest apparel brand in continuous operation in the United States. Originally a family business, it is currently owned as a joint venture between Authentic Brands G ...

, tapped to modernize their signature women's clothing and accessories line. He renewed his contract with Brooks Brothers in 2017.

''Gap'', 2024–present

In February 2024, Posen was hired as the creative director of Gap and chief creative officer of

Old Navy Old Navy is an American clothing and accessories retailing company owned by multinational corporation Gap Inc. It has corporate operations in the Mission Bay, San Francisco, Mission Bay neighborhood of San Francisco, California. The largest of t ...

as part of a strategy to revitalize the brands. Posen is the first executive-level creative lead for Gap inc since the 2011 departure of Patrick Robinson.

Other activities

On December 18, 2012, Posen was announced as an official judge on ''

Project Runway ''Project Runway'' is an American reality television series that premiered on Bravo on December 1, 2004. The series focuses on fashion design. It was created by Eli Holzman and was hosted by Heidi Klum from 2004 to 2017. It has a varied airi ...

'' starting with season 11, staying on until after season 16. On September 7, 2018, it was announced that Posen would not be returning to ''Project Runway'' for a 17th season on Bravo. In October 2017, Posen's 288-page cookbook was published by Rodale. It is described as having "100 recipes every bit as decadent and inspiring as his designs." In 2021, Posen released a collection of genderless wedding rings.

Recognition

Posen's awards include the

Council of Fashion Designers of America The Council of Fashion Designers of America, Inc. (CFDA), founded in 1962 by publicist Eleanor Lambert, and headquartered in Manhattan, is a not-for-profit trade association comprising a membership of over 450 American fashion and accessor ...

's 2004 Swarovski's Perry Ellis Award for Womenswear.

Personal life

Posen is openly gay. In 2023, he became engaged to Harrison Ball, a principal dancer at the

New York City Ballet New York City Ballet (NYCB) is a ballet company founded in 1948 by choreographer George Balanchine and Lincoln Kirstein. Balanchine and Jerome Robbins are considered the founding choreographers of the company. Léon Barzin was the company's fir ...

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Posen, Zac 1980 births Living people American fashion designers American businesspeople in fashion American LGBTQ businesspeople LGBTQ fashion designers American people of Polish-Jewish descent American people of Romanian-Jewish descent American people of Russian-Jewish descent LGBTQ people from New York (state) Fashion designers from New York City Alumni of Central Saint Martins Jewish fashion designers Saint Ann's School (Brooklyn) alumni People from SoHo, Manhattan American gay artists Judges in American reality television series Gay Jews