Racked is no longer publishing. Thank you to everyone who read our work over the years. The archives will remain available here; for new stories, head over to Vox.com, where our staff is covering consumer culture for The Goods by Vox. You can also see what we’re up to by signing up here.
Zac Posen via Getty
Zac Posen was shilling his latest work with MAGNUM Gold!? ice cream bars this morning in anticipation of a video's premier tonight at the Tribeca Film Festival and on Facebook. For the uninitiated, the delicious frozen treats denizen has a history of high profile—if not sort of random—collaborations (Hey, Karl Lagerfeld and Rachel Bilson).
This time around, Joe Manganiello and Caroline Correa star in a short film involving a gold heist. Posen, who makes a very dapper cameo, created a $1.5 million dress made of gold for Correa to wear. You'd think a designer would be satisfied with that, but apparently it just whetted his pallet for even more luxurious fabric. Posen explains below.
I've wanted to work with precious material for a long time, and this was the beginning of many ideas. Once I was in Como—my first trip, I got sent there by Franca Sozzani before I started my second collection—and they pulled out of a vault a roll of actual, true Rumpelstiltskin gold fabric, and I have it in my mind. I'm ready, anytime I'm in Milan, to drive up to Lake Como and find this fabric. This is the beginning of rare luxury materials.
Fairytales are real, everyone, so below, find the prince of glam's advice for creating your own fairy tale on any special occasion:
1. "Dress for your body type. And you learn that through experimentation. There's no handbook or rules. Every woman's body is different, and every women's body is beautiful."
2. "Take photos of what you're trying on because that's what you will see visually as a remembrance besides the experience. So, you know, you have to have something that highlights and reflects in the right way for your body type. That's really important. Get your phone out and photograph it and practice your pose because it's fun to make those iconic moments."
3. "Don't follow trends. I think you should go what your fantasy is. Life is very short. [...] Every woman should feel like they're having that glamour moment and feel like they're a queen or a princess for the day and who knows where that will lead them—maybe to many more."
· The Top 30 American Designers, According to the Internet [Racked]
· Zac Posen Looked to the Old World's Old Money for Fall 2013 [Racked]