An artful air wafted as Zac Posen walked through his pre-fall collection, a sophisticated lineup with a significant element of surprise. “Braque. Picasso’s early Cubism. They were starting points,” Posen noted. Yet lest it all sound too serious, he added quickly that the mood evolved toward a Ziggy-era Bowie moment, “where the Liberty prints come in.”
These charmed, in a long spill of a dress in multiple, collaged tiny florals and a saucy court-jester top worn over black pants. Still, the Cubist influence dominated, and was where Posen dared most. He pushed further with the ample volumes he introduced for spring, rendering them now in interesting asymmetric cuts. Often these came in blocks of rich-hued, duchesse satin, while a black top and long skirt made lovely languid work of the motif. Among the structured stunners: an elegant sac dress; an A-line column suspended from a simple cord of fabric at the neck.
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These were ultra chic, their glamour more low-key than the self–described “va-voom” styles on which Posen shot to fame. He’s clearly enjoying broadening his range, while staying mindful of his bread and butter. Thus, plenty of gowns with classic red-carpet appeal share the showroom with the Braque-Bowie hybrids he’s highlighting for press. Posen spoke knowingly of the dichotomy. “You have to have a business,” he said, “and keep moving fashion forward.”