Fashion Wunderkind 'Deeply Saddened' to Shutter His Label

Zac Posen's namesake brand is no more
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted Nov 2, 2019 5:30 AM CDT
Zac Posen 'Deeply Saddened' of News on His Fashion Label
In this July 31, 2017, file photo, Zac Posen poses for a photo to promote his documentary "House of Z" in New York.   (Photo by Amy Sussman/Invision/AP, File)

Designer Zac Posen is shutting down his namesake label. Posen has been a red-carpet favorite for close to two decades, known for glamorous, body-hugging gowns, often with long trains or big, flamboyant ruffles, for stars like Katie Holmes and Rihanna. An announcement from the label's owners, House of Z and Z Spoke, noted late Friday that the company could no longer continue operations, per the AP. It had been in a sale process. Posen, 39, was considered a wunderkind of New York fashion when he launched his label in 2001. He also serves as creative director for the Brooks Brothers women's collection. "The management team ... worked extremely hard to navigate the increasingly challenging fashion and retail landscape," he said in a statement. "We are disappointed that these efforts have not been successful and deeply saddened that the journey of nearly 20 years has come to an end."

Posen was raised in New York, where at 16 he attended Parsons School of Design and then the Central Saint Martins art school in London. In 2004, he was awarded the Perry Ellis Award for Womenswear by the Council of Fashion Designers of America. Posen has also served as a judge on TV's Project Runway, and in 2017, he was the subject of a documentary, House of Z, which explored some of the ups and downs he'd already experienced in his career. "I believe that creativity is an important human experience and element, in the same way as sleeping, eating, having sex," he told the AP at the time. Among Posen's many prominent designs was a mermaid-like gown for Gwyneth Paltrow at the Oscars in 2007, an off-the-shoulder gown with brightly sequined skirt for Oprah Winfrey at the Oscars in 2011, and a fitted pink satin gown for Rihanna at the Diamond Ball in 2014.

(More Zac Posen stories.)

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