Zac Posen may not have time for a boozy brunch most days, but last week he hosted an afternoon soiree at Le Caprice in New York City, the unofficial hometown of boozy brunches. He also tried out a new trade, designing not a fun spring frock for his next RTW collection but a limited edition brunch menu.
The self-described "irresistible" menu — adorned with a sketch of a sexy waitress drawn by the designer and complete with his favorite dishes paired with bespoke Belvedere Bloody Mary cocktails — came naturally to the born-and-bred New Yorker, who has said that "brunch is a part of my vocabulary."
I got the dish (yes, pun intended) from Zac on what inspired him to take on food as fashion and which spring trends anyone can where to a brunch near them.
A lot of people don't know that you're actually quite an accomplished chef. When did that all start?
I started cooking out of middle school depression. I started watching a show on the Discovery Channel called Great Chefs. My parents are both creative people, so they definitely cooked. My father would cook during the day, so that was always around. But it became an obsession — first through baking, and then into cooking. I cook about four nights a week. If I could host more controlled dinner situations or eating environments, I think I would. it's like curating a meal.
And so brunch, in particular, is a big deal for you?
I don't often get to do brunch. I do not often get to do lunch! I love my lunch in my office, but I think brunch is a really wonderful excuse to be in a really amazing, glamorous restaurant … to have a great drink. I do love Bloody Mary's. You know, my vices in life are probably salty Norwegian liquorices and Mr. and Mrs. T Bloody Mary Mix — which I don't allow myself to drink anymore after air stewardesses told me that they were worried about me after the second one, because of the sodium. But I adore them. And I love tomatoes — I grow tomatoes in my garden.
You have a garden!
I have a garden, and I collect different heirloom seeds from different neighbors. Great zebra stripe tomatoes…
Does food ever inspire your fashion?
All the time.
How so?
Textures, food, memory with food — that's very Proustian, food memory association. All the time! Prints, lusciousness… Food is everything. Food, friends, family: Those are the most important things in life.
Now, what are your thoughts on brunch fashion?
New York ladies all look immaculate. These are the next ambitious, young female power players, and it's a good mix of people. It's artists, businesswomen, socials, writers... That's what the New York brunch scene is all about — being in a collective bed of ideas… It's important to break people out of their context normally and put them together so that great ideas and collaborations can form. I don't have all the time in the world to have soirees, so when I do, I take advantage of it.
For spring, what are some of the biggest trends? Anything you're really excited to see?
I'm excited to see people wearing transparencies, laces, textures… I think there have been a lot of edgy tweeds that can be incorporated into everyday-wear with denim very easily. I think the color-block trend will be great, and I think the '70s vibe and trend is really always an effortless, very chic, timeless way for women to dress. I think the blending of colorations from … I would say… muddier off-sepia-ed colors next to very bright primaries is a really fun way for people to take stuff that's in their current wardrobe and add elements that create that style. Great new blouses with volume, great long skirts for day dressing… I think it is going to be very nice to see that on the streets. And it's going to create some very good Bill Cunningham street glamour.
Try the Zac Posen Belvedere Bloody Mary menu for yourself, available at Le Caprice New York now through June 26.
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