Posen, sun-kissed.Photo: Patrick McMullan
Zac Posen is back from Down Under where he just launched a collection for Target Australia. So why Target Australia? “It was a fun trip to Australia,” Posen said at the after-party for the Cinema Society screening of Flawless last night. “I did the project to get around the world.” When he wrapped up his Target work, he went island hopping. “I went to Java and then to Bali and got back this afternoon at 1:30 from Hong Kong.” In addition to his tan, Posen acquired “boxes and boxes” of “insane” fabric from Indonesia, which could show up in his next collection. “How they dress, you know — not in the cities, but in the countryside or farming — they really mix colors and patterns quite exceptionally, and unusually. It’s very inspiring.”
Posen’s own highly anticipated diffusion line launches in the U.S. in a year. He wouldn’t reveal its name but said it would be sold at the same chains as his main collection, just in a different section of the store. It will target a younger consumer, include clothes and accessories, and retail at lower prices ($60 to $1,000) than his current line. “It’s still aspirational, but it’s much more accessible,” Posen explained. The diffusion-line launch will coincide with his fragrance launch. How did Posen turn his essence into a perfume? “You work with amazing noses and artists, and they bring their interpretations of it. And I went through every raw ingredient possible. I wanted to learn the process,” he said. “You edit what you like, what you’re drawn to. You know, when you smell 25 variations of mimosa to decide which one you’re drawn to.” Oh, we totally know. We do that every day. —Bennett Marcus and Jada Yuan
