[Pictures via Elle.com]

The Z Spoke by Zac Posen 2011 Collection was a fabulously crafted contemporary collection highlighted by vibrant colors and eye-popping prints. If there is one thing that this collection isn’t lacking, it is attitude. Intended for a youthful, trendy shopper, each piece is flirty and funky, sometimes bordering on outright silly. Comprised of blazers, high wasted trousers, ruffles, and lace, this collection is simply a blast- perfect for the girl who loves fashion but doesn’t take it too seriously.

-Claire Schmidt

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The next Go Internatinal designer for Target, Zac Posen, will make his designs even more affordable as of April 25th, 2010. We can’t wait to see what’s in store, and have our fingers crossed it will be lots and lots of opulent dresses! More details and pics to come in March.

Anna Sui

Diane von Furstenberg

Vena Cava

Narciso Rodriguez

Prada

Marc Jacobs

Zac Posen

Helmut Lang

Brian Reyes

Alexander Wang

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Nearly three weeks later, there are still songs that I heard at particular fashion shows that are still stuck in my head! Here’s a recap of some of the music heard during Fashion Week New York and London:

“Barbie Girl” by Aqua, at the Barbie Fashion Show

“Isis” by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs at Jill Stuart

“Love Letter to Japan” by The Bird and the Bee at Milly

“Welcome to the Jungle” by Guns N’ Roses at Alexander Wang

The 5 Browns’ live performance at Zac Posen

Lissy Trullie’s live performance at 3.1 Phillip Lim

“O…Saya” by A.R. Rahman and M.I.A. (Slumdog Millionaire) at Narciso Rodriguez

In general, I heard Lily Allen’s new album, “It’s not me, it’s you” plaing a lot!

“Heart of Glass” Blondie cover at Charlotte Ronson

“M79″ by Vampire Weekend at Peter Jensen

Prince songs at Twenty8Twelve

“Flashing Lights” by Kanye West at Danielle Scutt

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[Images via Style.com]

Insouciance was again a welcome central theme of Zac Posen’s Fall 2009 Ready-to-Wear collection. Brilliant piano music courtesy of Steinway, who sponsored the show, and The 5 Browns, a marvelous troupe of brother and sister pianists, guided models as they traipsed down the runway in an array of ensembles that defined, rather than disguised, each woman. Every embellishment was purposeful; a kind of frivolous efficiency marks the collection, seemingly an affair between Victoriana, and a Zac favorite — the 1940s, an era that marked the emergence of women in a myriad of roles. Worn, grown-up florals, gold-flecked burnt orange mohair suiting, swaths of languid moire, and exuberant oxidized gold fabric all came out to play on Posen’s runway.
Sigrid Agren wore a gold broadtail overcoat with exaggerated shoulders and abbreviated sleeves that let a metal plisse skirt make an appearance that was anything but shy from underneath. The articulate marigold necklace just sinks into the voluptuous Venetian blue blouse, courted by mink panels on both sides. Zac transformed the dainty-featured model into a modern, eclectic Julie Christie in Doctor Zhivago with a penchant for the finer things. Another highlight of the collection was the textured antique gold, practically one step from resembling rope, present in a stunning gown with a regal neckline and finished off with Posen’s signature impeccable tailoring.

-Mary Casey

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Before and After

We’ve still got Zac Posen’s s/s ’09 collection on our minds, and it’s not just because of the fabulous clothes. We were intrigued by his use of electric purple lipstick contrasted against the pale pink garments, that made even the sweetest-faced models look fierce, and of course instantly cool. Beauty experts agree that purple is the new “it” color for makeup this season, so we decided to put our favorite sheer lip gloss aside, and try this bold new look.

We found out that MAC did the makeup for the Zac Posen show, so in order to truly mimic the look, we first filled in our lips with the MAC Magenta Lip Pencil, ($13, Macy’s), as a defined base. Layered over the pencil, we took the big step and coated our lips with a thick and even stroke of the nearly black MAC ‘Cyber’ Lipstick ($14, also Macy’s). To soften the intense color and to add shine, we finished with a few finger dabs of the fuchsia MAC ‘Violetta’ Pro Lipstick, that can be found at MAC Pro stores (7 West 22nd St. in New York), or you can substitute with the Urban Decay Trainwreck Lipstick ($22,Sephora).

After our transformation, our reflection in the mirror was barely recognizable, but we loved it! To get  the complete Zac Posen look, use a neutral colored eyeshadow, like a slightly shimmery brown, to make the purple really pop. MAC also created a light pink lip style for the show using MAC ‘Viva Glam II’ Lipstick, and MAC ‘Nymphette’ Tinted Lipglass, both $14 at Macy’s. However, if you’re looking to spice it up, or reinvent your habitual style, we think the purple lip is the perfect way to do it!

–Sarah Ferguson

Courtesy of MAC

One of the prominent trends spotted on the spring 2009 runway was most definitely leopard print. We saw the wild design in a spectrum of colors and speckled across everything from Louis Vuitton bags to Zac Posen dresses. Whether it’s a cocktail party or a day at the beach, these cool spots will certainly add some spice to your look.

We’ve gone on to find a variety of pieces flaunting this wild print — all for under $150!

The purple leopard print on this Sequin Safari Minidress, ($24.80 Forever 21), updates an otherwise ordinary going out dress, while the Leopard Lawn Annette Blouse, ($78, J.Crew), vamps up a modest look. Plan on keeping warm in this Black& Merino Leopard Print Cardigan ($88, Ann Taylor) or the Parfait Animal Print Cardigan ($118, Nordstrom). For the perfect accessory, this Dooney & Bourke Leopard Checkbook Clutch, on sale for $138.75 at Dillard’s, will lend even the classiest girl some wild cat edge, or try the NYC by Perlina Reversible Leopard Print Tote ($59.99, Target). No matter what item you choose, you’ll definitely be equipped with one of the most popular trends for 2009!

– Sarah Ferguson

This season Zac Posen featured the transformation of the good girl gone bad. He began his collection with a delicately pale pink dress on model Raquel Zimmerman, whose larger-than-life earrings and rocker chic hairstyle suggested this girl wasn’t all frills and glamour. The metamorphosis continued as models traded in dainty and pale lips for a decidedly metallic purple pout. Posen also started mixing in a few leopard prints, although the pieces still had an airy, demure look to them. Later, as the finale approached we were presented with bolder and darker pieces. Our favorite look was something we like to dub as “Elizabethan goth” — engaging the quintessential elements of female dressing with an ominous, dark dark mood, which made the usually pretty and innocent faced Lily Donaldson, give off a powerful “Don’t mess with me” vibe. Posen showed us that its possible to embrace our inner rebel while still donning a feminine chiffon dress!