Zac Posen was plastered all over the front page of the New York Times' style section this Sunday in a piece about his business peaks and valleys. Thanks to a primetime position on Project Runway, and perhaps more importantly, to his business team, the designer has been enjoying a prolonged upswing of late.
This Resort collection should keep the buoyant mood afloat. Posen explored the softer side of structure, adding draped ruffles and overlays to his signature anatomical-seamed construction for results that felt more romantic, less aggressive than his work sometimes tends to be. The floral-print chiffons he used surely played a part in that.
This isn't to say, though, that Posen abandoned his flair for the dramatic. On the contrary, there were evening showstoppers galore, be it a draped peplum-top strapless cocktail number in a soft shade of peach (modeled expertly by Pat Cleveland; "I'm breaking the lookbook age barrier," Posen joked), or a bustier mermaid gown in palest gray with a matching net overlay. Exuberance is Posen's stock-in-trade, but to this editor's eye, at least, restraint could turn into a growth area for the designer. An hourglass dress in sea-moss scuba-stretch duchesse looked great. Ditto a long-sleeved shirtdress in delicately ruffled navy chiffon.
