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Goodbyes are never easy.
Iconic fashion designer Zac Posen announced on Friday that he would be shuttering his fashion line after 18 years. The fashion industry has been hit with some pretty hard times lately, and this amazing line was one of the unfortunate casualties of a major industry shift. In true style, Zac took to his Instagram to share the news with the world and give gratitude to the amazing staff who has helped him shape his dream and vision in the industry.
“I want to express my appreciation to our extraordinary team and for all those who have stood by me and the brand,” Zac captioned the sweet pic with his team. “I owe a great deal of gratitude for their unwavering support for and dedication to the Company. I am grateful to the team who lent their incomparable talent and commitment along the way. I remain incredibly proud of what we created and hopeful for the future.”
While the news has sent waves through the fashion community, Zac himself was also shocked by the unfortunate development. In an exclusive interview with WWD, he opened up about the untimely end of his line.
“The board made a difficult decision,” Zac said. “We were in a sale process and we ran out of time.” Although the fashion power-house fought for his company, in the end it was in the hands of the board.
“There was a board vote. We had to make the call,” he continued. “My partners and I tried everything possible within our means to find solutions to keep it going. I have been trying to find the right strategic partners at this tough time in retail and in the industry. The clock ran out.”
Although the line is ending sooner than expected, since it’s creation in 2001, Zac has made a huge name for himself in the industry. Especially thanks to some famous faces that inspired him over the years. Scroll through the pictures below to see all of his incredible celebrity muses throughout the years.
Andrew H. Walker/REX/Shutterstock
Claire Danes
A red carpet moment to remember! Posen and his design team illuminated the 2016 Met Gala with the Homeland star’s glow-in-the-dark gown. It took more than 600 hours for the Cinderella-inspired work of art to come to fruition.
Efren Landaos/SOPA Images/Shutterstock
Sarah Jessica Parker
A match made in fashion Heaven! SJP has channeled her inner Carrie Bradshaw in plenty of Posen designs.
John Minchillo/AP/Shutterstock
Naomi Campbell
During Posen’s New York Fashion Week Fall 2015 runway show, the legendary catwalk queen made an epic finale entrance.
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D Dipasupil/Getty Images
Katie Holmes
Not only have Zac and Katie developed a close-knit bond over the years, she also modeled a plethora of ZP originals for his fall 2018 collection. Talk about a true friend!
Zac Posen/Instagram
Princess Eugenie
Fit for a princess! The British royal enlisted Posen to design the dress she wore to her 2018 wedding reception.
Gregory Pace/BEI/Shutterstock
Rihanna
Throughout the early days of her career, the Grammy winner often wore designs by Posen.
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Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for Tribeca Film Festival
Uma Thurman
Zac’s years-long friendship with the A-lister goes much deeper than the occasional fitting session. In fact, he cast Uma’s daughter, rising starlet Maya Hawke, in his spring 2019 campaign. “I wanted to do a project with my friend who I’d watched grow up,” Posen told The Cut at the time. “I wanted to capture this really special moment before her career took off.”
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Coco Rocha
At the height of both Zac and Coco’s respective careers, you’d rarely find them far from each other.
Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP
Emily Ratajkowski
Pictured here at 2016 Emmys alongside the supermodel, Zac proves he’s a total perfectionist.
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Madison McGaw, Angela Pham, & Joe Schildhorn/BFA.com
Nina Dobrev
For what would be his fashion label’s last Met Gala in 2019, Posen used 3D technology to create looks worn by Dobrev and more stars that night.
The world awaits his next great adventure.
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