Truly Zac Posen is truly democratic

It’s a mid-May afternoon and Posen is getting his hands on, and into, a baker’s dozen contenders for his new bridal line, which features several of the designer’s sartorial signatures, including figure-flattering corsetry and pintucked, herringbone-like seaming.Only this collection doesn’t cost half of what an average bride might pay for her entire wedding. The line, Truly Zac Posen, is from David’s Bridal. Launching February 2014, the will range from $850 to $1,350. Five red dresses, in neutrals and one lavender-threaded silvery jacquard print, will go for $195 to $225.

And the cap-sleeved, sleeveless, ball-skirted and fishtailed wedding gowns won’t just fit the Gwyneth Paltrows and Portia de Rossis of the world (both have been Posen clients, Paltrow at the 2007 Oscars, de Rossi at her 2008 nuptials). Truly Zac Posen is truly democratic, available in sizes 0 to 14 off the rack, 16 to 26 by celebrity wedding dresses.

“I have such a wide fan base and audience base and diverse base,” says Posen, 32, wearing a Posen-made navy blue vested suit and sitting in his airy Tribeca studio (distressed wood floors, flaking columns, stark white walls, generous windows). Pale pink peonies softly perfume the third floor loft. “I wanted to find a place where I could actually address them and dress them.”
 But even within the bridal market in general, “I’ve always felt there was a void when brides come to me and want to commission cheap prom dresses, because that means they can’t find what’s out there.” Designed and stitched a bouquet toss away, the handful-per-year custom creations, for princesses and queens, cost “a fortune” but “it’s worth it.”

Truly Zac Posen is truly democratic