Fashion has always been a part of Posen’s identity.

Zachary E. Posen. Where I was born shaped me to be exposed to a veritable amount of different circumstances; different types of creation; interaction with people on the street; and many different cultural influences. My main influences for me were my father, Steven Posen, who is a painter and artist and painted in my house where I grew up in Soho; and probably Jim Henson, Walt Disney, Julie Taymor. My mom was a continuous, continual champion, and was incredibly passionate about my academic travels. I think probably admiring the binding on a blue baby blanket . . . on a fleece blanket with a blue trim with the little sort of grided stitch on the edge was sort of my first experience with fashion. And then through play and through dress up with my sister Alexandra. Well it was like a visceral sensuality. It was protection. It was my baby blanket. So it’s that . . . it’s that form of protection and expression, and drape and movement. My father also was painting photo realist paintings with fabric. So the idea of drape and something that sort of becomes 2-D from 3-D was sort of a big influence in growing up. And then just seeing people on the street in New York. I think playing with clay, and with dolls, and theater. And then having incredible women around me all the time who were sort of strong, powerful, intelligent women. And sort of understanding the role of fashion – how it makes you feel; how it empowers you; how it can transform you or elevate you to have an experience that you did not previously think you could have. I made a tie skirt with my sister. I think that began the beginning of repetition, and pleating, and using drape and pleating as symbols of power. I thought that I’d either be baking, singing or creating theater To interact with people, and to be able to explore these different kind of female archetypes and characters. Well you never know. You constantly question your talent at it. You just sort of have to persevere. Being an artist and a creator, you’re constantly questioning your purpose and reasoning for creating.