Over the years, people have developed a love-hate relationship with Zac Posen, and for obvious reasons. The young, genius fashion designer has already dressed the likes of Oprah and Michelle Obama in the span of a few short years, and continues to make waves in the fashion world with pieces suited for A-list Hollywood Celebrities and socialites alike.
Coming into the scene at age 20, Posen has made it a point to make his presence known—grandiosely, in fact. Coming in exaggerated, frivolous outfits to top-tier events, Zac Posen reveled in the spotlight. Yet, one can only self-promote so much.
“Even starting out at such a young age, he’s always been very clear about who he is and what his design aesthetic is,” Anna Wintour quips in an interview for The New York Times. “He hasn’t worried about following the latest trends in fashion. He does like to make women look incredibly glamorous and sexy at night. He understands who his customer is, whether it’s a benefit in Texas or dressing a celebrity for the Met.”
Once deemed as one of the young designers who had the potential to top the industry, Posen was on a roll. Yet as expectations grew, stress levels rose as well for the designer. Soon, Posen’s creations were deemed as over-hyped…even overreaching.
With shows booked in extravagant places such as the 19th-century gilded ballroom of the Westin Hotel, critics claimed his pieces as the complete opposite: bland, plain, and ambitious. The media also projected his lifestyle as grandiose to borderline abusive, spending lavishly on things and activities he so clearly could no longer afford; Vogue enumerates all of this in a recent documentary they made on the designer called “House of Z”.
Amidst all the ruckus from both media and his peers, Posen pushed forward and made his way back to New York, which welcomed him once again—albeit with a bit of hesitation—with open arms.
“When you dream of working and being a designer your whole childhood,” Posen shares with The New York Times, “and then at the age of 20 or 21 an industry you’re not aware of, that you didn’t grow up in, that you don’t know, starts singing your praises, you’re thrown into a whole universe and world that can be overwhelming. It’s not necessarily that you believe the hype. But you’re surrounded by it at all moments, and fashion can be facilitating.”
It’s been a rough past 15 or so years for the infamous designer, yet in celebration of his 37th birthday tomorrow (October 24), here’s a look at Zac’s best (and worst) times.
Happy birthday, Mr. Posen!
