FASHION IN CONVERSATION: ZAC POSEN

Kinvara Balfour wearing a mint green Zac Posen dress in conversation with the designer himself @ the Apple Store Soho

Kinvara Balfour skirts the snow to host her 6th Fashion in Conversation this evening at the Apple Store, Soho. Taking the stage in a mint green dress fresh from this week's Fall 2014 runway, the British beauty projects the sophistication found in the slim, structured silhouettes of the designer's signature style. Clad in a classic black suit with black heeled leather boots, Zac Posen is anything but stale as he reminisces on his NYC upbringing, conveys the importance of social media and imparts a few morsels of advice to young fashion students. 

 Zac's Bio before the fun begins

Growing up amidst the cutting rooms of Soho, Posen notes the drastic shift in the neighborhood retail scene over the last 3 decades. During high school, Posen interned at Nicole Miller, his first foray into the fashion industry. Posen went on to become a Parson's graduate and an intern at the Metropolitan Museum. At 18, Posen enrolled at the Central Saint Martins College of Art & Design (skipping the A Levels!). By chance, a school project of Posen's was accepted into the Victoria and Albert Museum and the popularity of his work blossomed as friends and celebrities alike were wearing his clothes. 

 Zac, the animated speaker… Not so shabby as an interviewee either!  

Anchoring both creativity and the commerce, Posen cites street style and social media as significant channels of communication, expression and influence. For Posen, the "undressed chic" look of the street is a reaction that contradicts the trends governed by an advertorial "homogenized personal style" where everyone is "unique, but not." Posen advocates the power of expression through fashion and the true beauty of humanity in dressing for the street. In the same right, Posen is an instagram fiend and credits the bulk of his success to engaging in a visual dialogue with his fans that is "so democratic." Posen himself engages in "street style" sharing via instagram photos of cooking, ball gowns and clips of life behind-the-scenes. 

Mint chocolate chip comes to mind!

During the Q&A Posen encourages young designers to make clothes, learn their voices and and communicate through their aesthetic. "Repetition is reputation," Posen declares, noting that success in fashion means finding a strength "and doing it over and over and over again." He warns that there is "no such thing as a reclusive artist" and designers must be prepared to become the face and spokesperson of their brand. In terms of business savvy, Posen insists that beyond a knack for design, the business piece is common sense. On the integration of technology in fashion, Posen acknowledges the endless possibilities of materializing something really quickly as well as the ecological benefits (i.e. waste reduction). At the same time, Posen observes that technology "won't ever mimic the expression of the human mind and hand." Catch the entire episode--including Posen's comments on his role in Project Runway--free on iTunes. 

His & Hers high heels

What a pretty pair!