A peek at Zac Posen's fall line heralds the arrival of Neiman Marcus

June 17 was not a regular Wednesday morning for me. I attended a Zac Posen fall/winter 2009 collection preview at Pravda Studios, an event space on Capitol Hill. The event was sponsored by Neiman Marcus, who is opening a store at The Bravern in Bellevue in September.

All the attendees looked smashing, including Posen himself, who was wearing a shimmery silver blazer with a lilac scarf tied dramatically at the neck, projecting a casual elegance and reflecting the metallic theme of his collection.

I had the opportunity to chat with Posen pre-show and found him to be gracious, enthusiastic and articulate. He described his collection as an “ode to the great imagineers of America” at the turn of the 20th century. The silhouettes he described as “glamorous, sexy and flirty,” mixing “industrial techniques with luxury.”

Posen gave me a quick preview of some of the looks destined for the runway, pointing out how functional certain pieces were for Seattleites: sweaters crocheted out of metallic yarn and dotted with clover-shaped paillettes; a gorgeous two toned wool dress; and an amber-colored trench coat.

His response to my obligatory question about the economy and fashion echoed my own hopes: “I believe that creativity will prevail,” he declared without missing a beat. "The people who love dressing women will continue to do so." At that moment the stage manager called for first looks and Posen snapped into designer mode, “Let’s go people! Let’s get the energy up!”

The show itself was a constant stream of gorgeous opulence, with a palette of metallic gold, silver and bronze, gray, and Venetian blue, ending with russet floral prints and spectacular ball gowns. Posen deftly combined flowing bohemian fabrics with structured, architectural pleats, adding dazzle with Swarovski-crystal-studded tights and shiny, color-saturated shoes from Manolo Blahnik.

Obviously, a fall wardrobe that includes a Zac Posen piece is not realistic for the great majority of us, unless of course you find one used at consignment boutiques Driftwood or Alexandra’s, or new at off-price boutique Betty Lin. Fashion at this level is like art and, even in the midst of a recession, worthy of our attention, if only to admire beauty for the sake of beauty itself.

What interests me is how trends trickle down from high-end designers like Posen to reflect in the way we really dress. With mass-market stores such as Target, Walmart and H&M developing lines by designers like Alexander McQueen, Norma Kamali and Jimmy Choo, designer labels are becoming accessible to people of all income brackets, leveling the playing field.

How about you? Do you follow high-end designers? Does what they show on the runway impact what you choose to buy? Is there even a place for high-end fashion in Seattle?

Please leave your comments below.

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