Designer Zac Posen shares Met Gala memories and social media musings

Designer Zac Posen had a whirlwind week.

After dressing ten – yes ten – celebrities for Monday night's annual Met Gala, Posen visited Philadelphia. He brought his designs to the Saks Fifth Avenue-sponsored runway at the 58th annual Daisy Day luncheon held at the Hyatt at the Bellevue Thursday.

The Daisy Day luncheon raises money for The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and has featured other prominent designers over the past 15 years including Oscar de la Renta, Carolina Herrera, and Michael Kors, who will soon open a store on Walnut Street.

Following the runway show, Posen's designs were sold at a trunk show in the afternoon at Saks Fifth Avenue Bala Cynwyd. There I browsed his latest collection, enjoyed a macaroon and admired the models who walked around the second floor womens department. Posen graciously greeted guests and loyal clients, posed for photos and signed autographs.

After the chaos settled down a bit, I sat down with Posen to ask some of our burning questions.

What was your favorite Met Gala moment this year?

Well, there were so many! I had a moment with a bunch of very fabulous icons, actresses, business women all from China, all in front of the Vanderbilt fire place and it was all at a private session with Bill Cunningham in The New York Times. That was really fun. I also loved making my twirling Instagram video with Dita [Von Teese].

Favorite Met Gala moment of all time?

The first time I went to the Met Ball I was 16. I was an intern there and saved up to buy a staff ticket to the party. That was my favorite experience going. It wasn't the red carpet, it was the experience of being there for the first time. My favorite performance I ever saw was the year YSL did it with Tom Ford, the smallest one I've been to since I started, and Diana Ross brought the house down.

Speaking of interning, what was it like to intern for Nicole Miller?

It was great! She was an amazing mentor. I would sketch and she was very generous. That was the first time I worked on a fashion show and worked with a famous show producer, Kevin Krier. He taught me how to book a model and the whole fashion show production process through. I saw the process of design concepts transforming onto the runway and then going into stores. She's still a really close friend. She's a spectacular person and was unconditionally generous with me!

Where do you find inspiration for each collection? 

This season is a clean, chic, sculptural season. The inspiration was really about the body and form, movement, the cut of clothing, no embellishment - just seaming and shape. I pull together images. As a designer I'm not interested in trend. It's not something that is relevant today in the designer market. People who are really buying designer have their own trend. For designers it's about having a cultural radar and it's about having a relationship to past works. Then -- for me -- it happens when I'm draping in my studio or in my office or in fittings.
Where do you find inspiration for each collection? 
This season is a clean, chic, sculptural season. The inspiration was really about the body and form, movement, the cut of clothing, no embellishment - just seaming and shape. I pull together images. As a designer I'm not interested in trend. It's not something that is relevant today in the designer market. People who are really buying designer have their own trend. For designers it's about having a cultural radar and it's about having a relationship to past works. Then -- for me -- it happens when I'm draping in my studio or in my office or in fittings.

How do you see social media changing the fashion industry? 

Fashion has changed itself. Social media is a visual platform and dialogue, internationally. You have clients, fans, people in discussion all over the world. What I like is that it is visual. I'm interested in that visual dialogue. I'm interested in the opportunity that people can self create using social media and the online dialogue. Before social media you needed to have a lot of personal funds to break through to hire the right people and build a presence to start a line. It gives the opportunity and platform for people to be discovered.