For More Pictures Click Here

Zac Posen & Natasha Isaacs (in Zac Posen)

Zac Posen in Chicago

Zac Posen has drifted into the Windy City this week to unveil his 2008 Fall Collection to Chicagoans in person. The prodigal son of American fashion showed his fall 2008 collection in a runway show and cocktail party. Looking very cute and tanned with his signature mopish curls and blushing cheeks, Posen charmed the crowd. 

While his in person presence is one of rather quiet humility and gracious “thank you's, his emboldened design reflects little of this. 
 
Posen’s show kicked off with salacious and urbane little dresses that were paraded down the runway by the models in upward reaching, elf-like-heels. The satiny, body hugging dresses were grounded in muted grey, navy or black.  Aside from a few touches such as ruched waists, large onyx gems stitched across the bottom of skirts and the occasional corset appearance, the dresses were calm and collected. But Posen didn’t earn the moniker of boy genius without merit; he spiced up the somber looks with the pops of bright tights that cascaded down the legs of the models. Punchy red, yellow and hot pink legs blazed the runway and made the look.

A  total crowd-pleaser was a shift dress of a lace pattern with pockets. There’s just something about a dress with pockets that makes even the most daunting of pieces more approachable and convenable.

On a more refined and sophisticated note, the tulle-laden dresses and resplendently volumous skirts swayed around the moving mannequins.  Posen created many looks of full skirts at floor to mid calf length with layer upon layer of tulle.

Bolts of a multi-hued purple and a delicate pink were parlayed on stage, and added pops of color to the mostly pale or muted collection. His final coup-de-grace was a luxuriously opulent dress in grey satins with a full and flouncing posterior supporting cascades of gathered fuschia.  The drama of the collection was palpable and the layers of fabric pouring out of fitted busts could have been overwhelming  but Posen constrained his indulgences in the structured, rigid
ballet-inspired and referential mood.
-Kari Skaflen