Zac Posen, who revealed Friday that he is closing his namesake business, was a go-to designer for the red carpet set and beyond.
The designer’s famous fans ran the gamut from Hollywood, to politics — and even, on occasion, British royalty. Posen counted admirers in First Lady Michelle Obama, Ariana Grande, Sarah Jessica Parker and his former “Project Runway” co-star Heidi Klum to name a few.
The designer was famous for his statement-making red carpet dresses, such as Claire Danes’ trek up the Met Gala steps in 2016 in a light-up ball gown and with Grande’s Cinderella-inspired Grammys dress earlier this year (which the singer still posed in on Instagram despite not attending the awards show).
Posen’s work could also inspire awe on the runway, as was the case at his fall 2015 fashion show, when Naomi Campbell finished out the lineup in a metallic burgundy ballgown, ushering a rare round of applause during New York Fashion Week.
Scroll on to see 17 of his unforgettable fashion moments through the years.
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1. Natalie Portman
Image Credit: Matt Baron/BEI/Shutterstock Portman wore a retro, black and white dress from Posen’s first collection at the premiere of “Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones” in 2002.
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2. Eva Mendes
Image Credit: Charles Sykes/Shutterstock Mendes wore a dual-toned satin and silk dress at the 2004 Met Gala for the Dangerous Liasons theme.
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3. Lucy Liu
Image Credit: Fairchild Archive/Penske Media/Shutterstock Liu wore a form-fitting purple dress with an exaggerated train at the 2007 Met Gala for the Poiret: King of Fashion theme.
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4. Doutzen Kroes
Image Credit: Gregory Pace/BEI/Shutterstock Kroes wore a tiered red dress at the CFDA Fashion Awards in 2009.
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5. Kim Kardashian
Image Credit: Picture Perfect/Shutterstock Kardashian accompanied Posen at the 7th Annual CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund awards in a light blue dress with jewel details.
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6. Michelle Obama
Image Credit: Shutterstock Former First Lady Michelle Obama wore a light blue matching suit from the designer for British Prime Minister David Cameron’s visit to the U.S. in 2012.
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7. Naomi Campbell
Image Credit: Pixelformula/Sipa/Shutterstock Campbell closed Posen’s fall 2015 fashion show in a metallic burgundy dress, ushering in a rare round of applause at New York Fashion Week.
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8. Heidi Klum
Image Credit: Babiradpicture/Shutterstock Klum supported her former “Project Runway” co-star at the Bambi Awards in 2015, wearing a voluminous purple ball gown from the desinger.
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9. Devon Aoki
Image Credit: Marion Curtis/Starpix/Shutterstock Aoki wore a black and white dress from Posen’s 2010 pre-fall collection with fingerless chainmail gloves at the CFDA Fashion Awards in 2010.
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10. Claire Danes
Image Credit: Andrew H Walker/Shutterstock Danes wore a lit up, Cinderella-esque ball gown to the 2016 Met Gala for the Manus x Machina theme.
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11. Liu Wen
Image Credit: Kristina Bumphrey/Starpix/Shutterstock Wen wore a voluminous floral ball gown at the 71st annual Tony Awards in 2017.
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12. Princess Eugenie
Image Credit: Alex Bramall/PA Wire/Shutterstock Princess Eugenie wore a custom blush-toned dress at her royal wedding reception in 2018.
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13. Ariana Grande
Image Credit: Zac Posen/Ariana Grande/Instagram Grande skipped out on attending the 2019 Grammy Awards, but still had her Cinderella moment by posting pictures of her custom Posen gown on Instagram.
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14. Jourdan Dunn
Image Credit: Matt Baron/Shutterstock Dunn wore a 3-D printed dress that resembled rose petals at the 2019 Met Gala for the Notes on Camp theme.
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15. Julia Garner
Image Credit: David Fisher/Shutterstock Garner wore a metallic draped dress with a 3-D printed vine-like headpiece at the 2019 Met Gala 2019 for the Notes on Camp theme.
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16. Winnie Harlow
Image Credit: Swan Gallet/WWD/Shutterstock Harlow wore a tiered lilac dress at the Harper’s Bazaar ICONS party in 2019.
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17. Sarah Jessica Parker
Image Credit: Kristina Bumphrey/StarPix/Shutterstock Parker channeled her “Sex and the City” character Carrie Bradshaw with mismatched pink and yellow heels, which she paired with an oversize hot pink gown by the designer at the 8th annual New York City Ballet Fall Fashion Gala.
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