Showcasing pieces from his new collection, fashion designer Zac Posen made his first trip to Nashville for the Symphony Fashion Show eager for a chance to experience the music and culture of Music City. We had the unique opportunity to spend the afternoon with Posen, touring the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, enjoying an exquisite lunch at Deb Paquette's Etch, and delving a little bit deeper into the vast creativity and curiosity behind the designer himself.
Nashville Lifestyles (NL): This year's Symphony Fashion Show features your Fall 2017 collection. Tell us a little bit about your inspirationcolor schemes, silhouettes, etc.
Zac Posen (ZP): What we're presenting is Fall and a few other seasons. In general, within our aesthetic, we try to be timeless. I think that creates a level of integrity of design. The clothing is very evening-focused tonight, glamour-centric, vibrant colors, and the cut is my signature, anatomical construction. Nothing very overtly themed; it's more of a continued exploration of techniques and modern glamour.
NL: Do you have a favorite item or piece in tonight's show, or a memorable story behind something in this collection?
ZP: That's hard. There are different elements of certain pieces that I have a real affinity for or connection to because of the creative process. Enjoying the process is really key, and keeping that as the exciting factor rather than necessarily just the result.
There are fabrication developments that I'm really intrigued by that we've builthere, we have a fabrication that's like a transparent mesh that has a very fine kind of French embroidered lace overlay. The layering of that is one of my favorite pieces. There are saturations of colors that you're drawn to, you know? And they're quite sculptural, but they're in relationship to the body. It's always about making a woman feel beautiful and confident and her bestthat's my role and my job.
NL: What is it about Nashville that drew you in?
ZP: I've always wanted to come to Nashville. I love music; I have to start there. I like music and I like country. And I've never been to Nashville! Well, you know, I started my company at 21, and at that age, it was two collections a year, which very quickly became four, and eight, 16… It just kept multiplying. But, I'm a New York City kid, I went to school in London for university, and then design school, and once I started, I saw the country by doing events. That's how I saw my country, and the beauty of it, and the people.
My really good friend, Karen Elson, I met her and made my first dress for her when I was 15, so she must've been the same agealthough she seemed much more adult at the time. She really wanted me to come here, and at the same time this opportunity [with the Symphony Fashion Show] came up, and the timing worked within a very wild, nonstop schedule.
NL: In addition to your fashion lines, you have a cookbook, Cooking with Zac, out this fall. Can you give us any intel on that creative endeavor?
ZP: It's from rustic to refined. It's really a reflection of different dishes that I makequick meals, easy, there are a lot of farm to table elements. I'm a big believer that, like in fashion, what goes into something can dictate the end result. Very visual, a lot of writing, lots of anecdotal stories of where recipes came from over different travels that I've had or from people in my life. I worked with an incredible visual team. I haven't seen the final proof, but it's excitingit's a different kind of creative output and different kind of collaboration.
NL: Nashville has this amazing, burgeoning fashion scene and an incredible creative class. What words of advice would you give to those just starting out?
ZP: There are a few pieces of advice I'd give. The first thing is to know that there's no formula to success in a creative field or in business. I think the only kind of formula you can live by is hard work, patience, and in fashion specifically, I think it's really important to know your craft. Know your market, have a great understanding of art history and fashion history. Go in depth into thatI think that's key. And know how to make your clothing yourself, because then you have the tools and dialogue to be a hands-on designer. For me, it's important to keep the tradition of handcrafting alive. I think that's part of our responsibility and something I really value.
Also, take your timethere's no rush. I've had a very unusual trajectory in my career. I think there are a lot of components that made that happen. A lot of that has to do with the kind of drive and ambition that I had. Creativityart and commercehas a specific kind of cycle. You just have to be really clear on what you want. You do not become a fashion designer to live a lifestyle.
I've been able to travel, and that's the greatest luxury of what I do, and I self-educate myself through these experiences, I meet amazing people, but it's really about the process. You have to really enjoy the creative process, the challenges, it's not an easy business. You have to know what your strengths are, and you have to be comfortabletoday, I believe, being the face of your company. It's very challenging to be a creator and be reclusive. You have to represent your brandit has to be true.
Creativity is about being a long-distance runner, and you should be able to create through your whole life. I think what it means to be a fashion designer is pretty rapidly changing. That's exciting, and it's an exciting time to be a part of it. That staying power is what it's aboutand not changing as a person.