In Memoriam: the House of Z
Current status: shocked, confused, wondering if I’ll ever enjoy a mermaid gown again.
This past Friday, Zac Posen announced the closing of his atelier. Posen, a Parsons grad, 7-year Project Runway judge and winner of the Council of Fashion Designers of America’s prestigious Perry Ellis Award for Womenswear, was refreshingly transparent about the boardroom difficulties that led to the line’s close.
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How do you create something that evokes emotion and surprise, but also pushes the notion of fashion as an art form? Because I do think that idea is more important than ever.—Zac Posen, via.
Zac Posen’s signature blend of structure, sweeping Old Hollywood elegance, and youthful fun will be sorely missed on the red carpet after a solid 18 year run. With an all-star roster of clients like Rihanna, Michelle Obama, Gwyneth Paltrow, Ariana Grande and Amal Clooney, 39-year-old Posen is a creative wunderkind of the fashion world. The House of Z kept ruffles, trains and strong silhouettes in business through the rise and fall of many trends. His looks are consistently statuesque with a clear appreciation of quality and history.
Here is a retrospective on some of my favorite House of Z creations:
Most Iconic: Claire Danes at the 2016 Met Gala
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The most iconic Zac Posen creation was quintessentially Zac Posen: elegant, referential, creative, innovative, timeless, structural, bodice-d and train-ed. Three years later, Zendaya made waves with a similarly stunning gown at the 2019 Met Gala, but no matter the advancements in the technology, Zac set the standard with this fiber optic wonder.
Classic Zac: Mermaid Gowns
You can’t talk about Zac Posen without talking about the Mermaid Dress. Some dismiss this particular wheelhouse as prom-like or overly repetitive, but there’s a certain attention to the form and the exposure of the gown’s structure that makes his take positively architectural.
Coco Rocha at the 2010 Met Gala
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Liu Wen at the 2014 Met Gala
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Rihanna at the First Annual Diamond Ball (2014)
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Sarah Jessica Parker at the New York City Ballet (2019)
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Gone Out With A Bang: 2019 Met Gala
Making the House of Z’s closure even more shocking is Posen’s extremely strong showing at this year’s Met Gala, with 5 of his creations gracing the red carpet. He was a perfect fit for the Notes on Camp theme, as his architectural, structural dresses have an inherent campiness in how they exaggerate dress composition and the female body. In each creation he utilized 3D printing and even met with scientists, engineers and designers at the General Electric manufacturing plant in Pittsburgh. Each piece of these gowns was meticulously crafted, with hundreds of hours going into production.
This is certainly not the last we’ve see of Zac’s one of a kind creativity—I, for one, will be watching the red carpets like a hawk for custom commissioned pieces from his devoted clients.
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