Zac Posen‘s a busy guy. He sits at the helm of his Zac Posen, Zac Zac Posen and Z-Spoke labels, is serving another judging stint on Project Runway and now, the designer’s added another gig to his growing list of responsibilities: Brooks Brothers has tapped the designer to serve as creative director over its women’s collection.
Seven years ago, Brooks Bros. hired Thom Browne to help create more fashionable menswear options, which seems to have done well for the brand. But now, CEO Claudio Del Vecchio is looking to beef up its women’s range, which makes up about 20 percent of sales annually.
While Posen won’t necessarily be designing for the retailer, he will be advising on product development and presentation. Brooks Brothers already functions with a team of its own designers, so Posen will be tasked to lead them into creating more fashion-forward collections for women. “This is our main women’s collection, and if I didn’t think he could deliver, I wouldn’t risk it,” Del Vecchio told WWD. “It’s not for PR, but he’s a celebrity and I fully expect to get plenty of coverage and create traffic. But this is a business decision.”
Don’t get too excited about Brooks Brothers’ newest appointment just yet. Posen’s first for the retailer won’t be out until Spring 2016, so we’ve got a whole year to wait before we actually see any product. Still, it will be interesting to see where Posen leads the company and if his direction will give its women’s line the makeover it needs.
