What is Zac Posen's Net Worth?
Zac Posen is an American fashion designer who has a net worth of $10 million. Zac Posen is known for his eponymous, now-defunct fashion label, which was a favorite of many celebrities. He also served as the creative director of the high-end luxury fashion company Brooks Brothers from 2014 to 2020. Elsewhere, Posen served as a judge on the reality television competition series "Project Runway" from season 11 to season 16.
In 2000, at the age of 21 while he was still living with his parents and earning an allowance, Zac caught an enormous break when supermodel Naomi Campbell wore one of his dresses. He held his first runway show in 2001 and was soon courted by all the top fashion houses including LVMH, Gucci and Christian Dior.
In 2004 Diddy's Sean John invested in Posen's private label. In 2008 he created a collection for Target which was featured in 75 stores around the world
In 2012, Glen Close wore a Posen gown to the Academy Awards. In 2013 both Reese Witherspoon and Naomi Watts wore Posen gowns to the Golden Globe Awards. Uma Thurman wore Posen to the 2013 Met Ball. Sofia Vergara wore Posen to the 2014 Golden Globes…. His gowns have been worn by Michelle Obama, Beyonce, Amal Clooney, Katie Holmes and Claire Danes, just to name a few.
Zac became a judge on the reality competition Project Runway in 2012. He stayed on the show for seasons 11 through 16.
In 2014 he partnered with David's Bridle on the exclusive line, Truly Zac Posen.
Zac also founded "House of Z," clothing line which received an equity investment from billionaire Ron Burkle. By mid-2019 the company had 60 employees. Unfortunately times were tough for House of Z and in November 2019 the firm was abruptly forced to shut down.
Early Life and Education
Zac Posen was born on October 24, 1980 in New York City to Jewish parents Susan, a corporate lawyer, and Stephen, an artist. His ancestry traces back to Belarus and Poland. Interested in fashion design from an early age, Posen would steal yarmulkes from his grandparents' synagogue to create ball dresses for dolls. He was educated at Saint Ann's School, a private school in Brooklyn, and during his sophomore year interned for fashion designer Nicole Miller. At the age of 16, Posen did a pre-college program at the Parsons School of Design. After graduating from Saint Ann's in 1999, he went to the United Kingdom to attend Central Saint Martins at the University of the Arts London, where he studied womenswear design.
Career Beginnings
While studying in London in 2000, Posen made a dress for model Naomi Campbell that ended up in the hands of various fashion insiders, gaining him many connections. Through Ingrid Sischy, the editor-in-chief of Interview magazine at the time, he met his future publicist and event producer Ed Filipowski, who offered to represent him free of charge. Upon returning to New York in 2001, Posen set up a makeshift atelier in his parents' living room. Later that year, he was selected to present a capsule collection as part of GenArt's exhibit "Fresh Faces in Fashion," and was given a grant of $20,000. Posen went on to hold his first runway show, after which he was courted by a number of major fashion figures, including Sidney Toledano, the director and CEO of Christian Dior, and Yves Carcelle, the president of LVMH Fashion Group.
Zac Posen Label
Following the success of his capsule collection presentation and runway show in 2001, Posen established his eponymous design studio on Laight Street in the Tribeca neighborhood of Manhattan. His brand went on to become hugely popular among celebrities, including Natalie Portman, Claire Danes, Jennifer Lopez, Beyoncé, Kate Winslet, Rihanna, and Dick Clark, who have counted Posen as a favorite. Many celebrities have worn his designs on the red carpet, such as Glenn Close at the 2012 Academy Awards, Reese Witherspoon and Naomi Watts at the 2013 Golden Globes, and Rita Ora at the 2014 AMA Awards.
Beyond luxury fashion, Posen has created some affordable, ready-to-wear lines. In 2008, he partnered with Target to create Zac Posen for Target, a capsule collection released in 75 stores in Australia. Later, in early 2014, he partnered with another retailer, David's Bridal, to create Truly Zac Posen, a line of affordable bridal gowns. It was his first official bridal collection. Elsewhere, Posen redesigned the uniforms for Delta Air Lines employees, from staff members to flight attendants and even customer service workers.
In late 2019, the fashion brand owners of Zac Posen's company, House of Z and Z Spoke, announced they were immediately halting all business operations. As a result, Zac Posen's label was abruptly shut down.
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Other Endeavors
Posen has been involved in some other endeavors outside of his eponymous fashion label. In 2014, he became the creative director of the luxury fashion company Brooks Brothers, and worked to modernize the company's signature women's clothing and accessories line. Posen remained with Brooks Brothers until 2020, when he was succeeded by Michael Bastian.
In other media, Posen served as an official judge on the reality television competition series "Project Runway" from 2013 to 2017, encompassing seasons 11 through 16. He had previously been a guest judge in seasons three and four. In 2017, Posen released a 288-page cookbook featuring 100 recipes.
Personal Life and Real Estate
Posen is openly gay. In the summer of 2022, he got engaged to ballet dancer Harrison Ball, a member of the New York City Ballet.
In January 2017, Zac paid $3.5 million to acquire an Upper East Side duplex in New York City.
