He might have dressed Rihanna, Oprah Winfrey and Gwyneth Paltrow – but red carpet fashion designer Zac Posen couldn’t save his own label
Celebrity designer Zac Posen was known for dressing stars like Rihanna, Oprah Winfrey, Gwyneth Paltrow and Katie Holmes for the red carpet, but his namesake label is history, as label owners House of Z and Z Spoke announce a sale
Designer Zac Posen is shutting down his namesake label.
Posen has been a red carpet favourite for close to two decades, known for glamorous, body-hugging gowns, often with long trains or big, flamboyant ruffles, for stars like Katie Holmes and Rihanna.
An announcement from the label’s owners, House of Z and Z Spoke revealed that the company could no longer continue operations, after a sale in process fell through.
Posen, 39, was considered a wunderkind of New York fashion when he launched his label in 2001. He also serves as creative director for the Brooks Brothers women’s collection.
“The management team … worked extremely hard to navigate the increasingly challenging fashion and retail landscape,” he said in a statement on Friday. “We are disappointed that these efforts have not been successful and deeply saddened that the journey of nearly 20 years has come to an end.
“I am grateful to the team who lent their incomparable talent and commitment along the way. I remain incredibly proud of what we created and hopeful for the future.”
Among Posen’s many prominent designs was a mermaid-like gown for Gwyneth Paltrow at the Oscars in 2007, an off-the-shoulder gown with brightly sequinned skirt for Oprah Winfrey at the Oscars in 2011, and a fitted pink satin gown for Rihanna at the Diamond Ball in 2014.
He swathed actress Claire Danes in pastel blue organza at the 2016 Met Gala, with a twist: her Cinderella-inspired dress was made with fibre optics, and it lit up in the dark.