Zac Posen launches Z Spoke ready-to-wear collection at NY Fashion Week

Posen launched the cheaper Z Spoke line just a few short months ago, declaring it to be the new ‘fashion-tainment’, but the A/W 2011-12 collection debuts a decidedly more serious look. Posen told Style.com, ‘Last season was about launching it to the media, this season, it's about direct to the consumer and retailer.’

And launch it to the customer he certainly does - while the S/S 2010 show was considered too exaggerated by some, the A/W collection is pure, unadulterated chic, with classic pieces in black, inky blue and grey softened with the occasional dash of pink. Grown-up, tailored shifts in wool and hammered silk and liquid jersey dresses contrasted sharply with structured leather accessories and dark eye and lip makeup. The slinky cut-out gowns and structured/flowing contrasts in newly toned-down shades are more universal when compared to the line’s previously over-vibrant incarnation. The new aesthetic for Z Spoke is serious without compromising on style, with the added twist of Posen’s characteristic edgy cool - culminating in a visual smorgasbord of fashion delights.

As for the upcoming show for his signature line in Paris, Posen implies there will be plenty more of this new, grown-up philosophy, ‘I think in general with collection and with Z Spoke, we're moving into a more streamlined identity of my original language.’