Last night at SCAD’s Seen Gala I had the wonderful opportunity to have a quick interview with Zac Posen, the honorary chair of the event. Check out what we talked about.
Kianna McCalla: Being a northerner, how do you like the South so far?
Zac Posen: It’s good. I mean it’s a fast trip. I’ve traveled a lot in the South and all over America, but it’s a fast trip. It’s nice, the women are fabulous and wonderful and the clothing and work of the students is really inspired and strong.
KM: So I know you’ve been to SCAD Savannah before, I was wondering how you’re liking SCAD Atlanta. We’re so much smaller and more close knit.
ZP: Yeah, but it’s nice because it’s everything, all the disciplines are mixed and I say to the students that they should be cross-pollinating. They should be using every possible resource and friend they have. Stop going to the bars, like go to the bars … And then go bring the work home. That’s what I say. My advice to the students, like get your fashion communication or promotion whatever … That’s it, right? It’s fashion promotion that you guys have?
KM: Fashion Marketing and Management.
ZP: Get your fashion marketing and bring them on board if you’re one of the design students here. Bring your architecture students here. Bring, you know, the sculpture. Start incorporating it all together. Film students. And because you’re in one building – I’m sure there are cliques, because there always are at school, but I don’t care. Break the clique down.
KM: Yeah, a lot of the seniors just shot their senior collection and the fashion photographers were working with them.
ZP: But beyond that. I want beyond that, honestly. It needs to happen. That’s what’s gonna take it to the next level.
KM: Looking around the Gala are there any designs that stood out to you, that you just loved?
ZP: There’s a lot. I don’t want to name any particular students because then it’s going to make some of the other ones feel bad. But I thought that there were spectacular pieces; I was impressed with how the pieces were finished and made. I thought that there were a lot of original ideas. The accessories continue to impress me every season, with what they’re able to create. It’s very impressive and over the years I’ve been coming to SCAD, the sophistication level keeps going up … It’s hot.
KM: I know you mentioned during your conversation with Jessica Iredale that there were some designers that you really appreciated their work. If you had the chance which one would you work with?
ZP: Oh I would’ve worked with Yohji Yamamoto or John Galliano or Azzedine Alaia.
KM: Is there something particular that you’d love to make with them?
ZP: No, I just would’ve loved to work for them. They’re very talented people.
KM: What made you realize that you wanted to be a fashion designer?
ZP: I had to get a summer job. And I’d always been sketching and using my hands to make clothing. My mom sewed. We always made stuff with our hands in the house. My dad’s an artist and I was always interested in theater so I did that and film first. But I was always drawing and making little clothing for dolls. I had the bug early. I wanted to be a performer before that but then it was a clear decision at a young age and jumped in at 16.
KM: I know you mentioned keeping some things. Was there one design in particular that you ever made that you just didn’t want to part with?
ZP: Oh yeah, all the time. Fashion is blood, sweat and tears. It’s emotional and intense trying to get a piece perfected to the level that we do. And family that makes that happen – that’s my studio family. You gotta let it go. You have to be so continuously re-creative in fashion. We’re designing like 2000 styles plus, maybe 3000 styles a year. That’s a lot of original designs to be perfecting – that’s multiple pieces every day.
You gotta always move forward. Don’t rest your laurels. Don’t hold onto things. You can be proud of work. There’s pieces that I’m more proud of than others and pieces that – ugh – but everything always has its moment to be perfected. Then sometimes pieces you think are a disaster, you look back eight years later and you’re like, “That feels right now!” What’s that about? I don’t know, that’s how the world works. All of a sudden I’m like, “That piece looks right and looks current again.” When it didn’t for a while.
KM: I follow you on Instagram and you post these amazing dishes all the time. Have you ever thought about starting a cooking blog called “Cooking with Zac”?
ZP: Maybe. “Cooking with Zac” is something really special to me. And I want to do it when I have the right time and the right collaborators, but we’ll see. Something definitely down the pipeline.
KM: Well, thank you for meeting with me.
ZP: My pleasure!
So that’s it, folks. Some advice for all the fashion students and maybe a scoop on a future cookbook. All in all Zac Posen’s time here at SCAD Atlanta was certainly a fun one. I think I can speak for all of us when I say we hope he comes back real soon.
