With the rise of Y2K trends coming back, it's time we revisit the influence Zac Posen had on the era.&nbsp;

Born and raised in New York City, Zac Posen was constantly surrounded by art. He grew up in a SoHo loft that housed his father&rsquo;s <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/art/art-fairs-summer-2022-frieze-can-intersect" target="_blank" rel="noopener">painting</a> studio and where the streets were lined with discarded boxes of fabrics from the textile factories of the neighborhood. He took these scraps home with him and thus his first designs were born onto stuffed animals and dolls. But the real start of his career came when he began attending Saint Ann&rsquo;s School in his high-school years, where he met the children of New York elites and designed clothes for them.&nbsp;

Since the <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/pop-culture/women-of-y2k-2000s-britney-spears-paris-hilton-lindsey-lohan" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2000s</a> were all about the well-connected <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/it-girl-style-guide-2022-fashion-trends" target="_blank" rel="noopener">It girls</a> (what Gen Z calls "nepotism babies"), this gave him the perfect opportunity for exposure. When he moved to London to attend Central Saint Martins, he took his friend and muse Lola Schnabel for whom he created dresses in their basement apartment/studio hybrid. One of these dresses caught the eye of <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/naomi-campbell-most-iconic-90s-catwalk-moments" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Naomi Campbell</a>, who became a long-time supporter of the brand.&nbsp;
Taking <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/vivienne-westwood-sex-pistols-punk-fashion-history" target="_blank" rel="noopener">London's punk-rock</a> influence back to New York and still having his designs photographed on his famous friends, he was getting calls from buyers at <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/henri-bendel-department-store-vintage-photos" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Henri Bendel, </a>so he left school early to officially start his design house in 2001. By the time his first official collection came around, Posen already had a list of private clients and industry professionals interested in him. His debut runway show was opened by supermodel <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/model-karen-elson-style" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Karen Elson</a> and attended by Anna Wintour (whose son went to school with Posen).&nbsp;

Posen's designs quickly became a regular presence in Vogue and other editorials, but his red carpet presence was limited (<a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/film-tv/natalie-portman-most-iconic-roles-star-wars-padme-thor" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Natalie Portman</a> was one of the early champions of his work). Everything changed for him when Sean &ldquo;Diddy&rdquo; Combs approached Posen to invest in the brand. They took an equal stake in the company, allowing Posen to have more funds to funnel into his brand, while Combs brought in a whole new clientele. Posen's shows became the hottest ticket at New York Fashion Week. People would line up outside the tents hoping to see a glimpse of the stars who filled the front row. There was no other event where you could see <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/beyonce-jay-z-tiffany-and-co-about-love-campaign-fall-winter-2021" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jay-Z</a> and <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/early-2000s-movies-for-y2k-style-inspiration" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ashanti</a> sitting next to Hayden Patteniere and <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/paris-hilton-favorite-y2k-accessories-hot" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Paris Hilton</a> besides a Zac Posen fashion show.&nbsp;
After his 2004 contract with Combs, Posen's designs became more luxurious and his reach became more universal. There wasn&rsquo;t a 2000s icon who wasn&rsquo;t seen wearing a Zac Posen dress at some point. From <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/beyonce-style-body-positivity-evolution-red-carpet-fashion-style" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Beyonc&eacute;</a> and <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/rihanna-best-met-gala-looks" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rihanna</a> to <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/lindsay-lohan-young-fashion-moments-movies" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lindsay Lohan</a> and <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/travel-living/nicole-richie-home-inspired-by-chanel-store" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nicole Richie</a>, if there was an event, Posen would be there, either through his designs or his actual personage. Posen became a celebrity himself, attending red carpets on the arms of the women wearing his designs and going out dancing with his famous friends from his school years.&nbsp;

While some critics raised concerns over his extravagant lifestyle, no one could deny that he was still respected in the fashion industry. Not only did he have some of the most iconic models from the '90s in his shows (like Elson and Campbell, alongside Karolina Kurkova and Carmen Kass) but his runways also featured some of the biggest 2000s models of the time too. Gemma Ward, Natalia Vodianova, and Natasha Poly were regulars in Posen's shows. During this time, he even mentored <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/mary-kate-and-ashley-olsen-twins-movies-fashion-full-house" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ashley Olsen</a>, who would later go on to create the luxury fashion label <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/mary-kate-ashley-olsen-vintage-archive-shop-the-row" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Row</a> with her sister, Mary-Kate.

Unfortunately, after an 18-year-long career, Zac Posen shut down his label in 2019. While he's made a few gowns for select celebrity clients since then, his primary focus has been on <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/spring-wedding-dress-bridal-trends-2023" target="_blank" rel="noopener">bridal</a>. In a recent Instagram caption of one of the wedding gowns he made for a friend, he said, "Brides keeping me busy in the interim of finding my next full time gig (not retired ;))." There's no way to know for sure what the future holds for Posen, but there's a good chance we'll be seeing a lot more of him soon.&nbsp;

How Zac Posen Defined The 2000s

Tags

Related Articles

Fashion

12 of Zac Posen's Most Magical Red Carpet Looks

Fashion

How the 2021 CFDA Emerging Designers are Moving the Fashion Industry Forward

Fashion Week

Winnie Harlow Shows Off 360 Degrees of Zac Posen

Recommended posts for you

Fashion

The Fiercest Feuds in Fashion History

Fashion

How to Get the Old Money Look for Summer

Fashion

Zendaya's Best Tenniscore Looks From The 'Challengers' Press Tour

Pop culture

What Really Happened Between Taylor Swift and Matty Healy?

Pop culture

Matty Healy Reveals If He's Listened to 'The Tortured Poets Department' Yet

Fashion

All You Need to Know About the History of David Yurman Jewelry

Fashion

Camila Mendes Reignites The '70s In Coach's 'Find Your Courage' Campaign

Travel & Living

Golf Course Designer Gil Hanse Is Reclaiming Green Space