Zac Posen Is Ready for His Close-Up

Fashion designer and Brooks Brothers creative director Zac Posen talks about staying original while building his globe-spanning brand.

- Anjali Mullany

It’s not easy to catch the fashion world off guard. But when Zac Posen announced two years ago that he was signing on as the creative director of women’s wear at Brooks Brothers, one of America’s oldest retailers, he raised more than a few well-groomed eyebrows.

Posen, after all, is renowned for his eponymous couture line’s red-carpet gowns, which are worn by the likes of Coco Rocha, Oprah Winfrey, and Caitlyn Jenner. Brooks Brothers, with its long managers, embodies a more preppy—and decidedly conventional—aesthetic. A few months after Posen’s first collections began appearing in Brooks Brothers stores, the incongruous pairing appears to be working. Posen has given the classic retailer a critically well-received refresh, bringing a more playful sensibility and bolder tailoring to basic suits and classic dresses. Brooks Brothers, with more than 250

stores in the United States plus a presence in more than 45 other countries, has introduced the designer to a wider audience—and sparked new ways of thinking at Posen’s own House of Z, which includes his three clothing lines and multiple collaborations (see “Project Posen” for more). “It’s been inspirational, and I didn’t expect it,” Posen says.