He’s not just a one-hit wonder, after all. In a lovely and lively Spring collection, Zac Posen showed he can move beyond the hourglass diva dresses and turn out some seriously pretty clothing.
Posen’s whole silhouette eased up as he worked in lighter fabrics like charmeuse and chiffon, and in a classic pastel palette of lilac, petal pink, pale green, and shimmery gray. Skillful tailoring showed up in short jackets artfully seamed to curve in at the waist, and a delicate touch was apparent in pieces like a halter dress suspended from a single, thin twist of fabric. Still in evidence were handkerchief-point hems on a few short dresses and skirts, as well as a few of his signature mitre-stripe gowns. It’s clear that Posen has been taking notes during his many appearances on the social circuit: His eveningwear, like a silvery sequined dress or a flame-red chiffon gown, will certainly delight the cocktail-and-gala crowd. And indeed, the whole show had a distinct sparkle, thanks to the $30 million worth of Harry Winston gems (on loan, of course) the models were sporting.
Lest his audience might think he’d lost his costume-y sense of humor, Posen also sent out two dangerously flammable outfits made from raffia—inspired, perhaps, by the wild Philip Treacy wigs on show at Manolo Blahnik’s current New York exhibit.
