Zac Posen

NEW YORK -- Red carpet favorite Zac Posen showed his collection Sunday evening on the terrace of Avery Fisher Hall overlooking Lincoln Center Plaza. As the sun set and Posen's old world glamour gowns glided onto the runway, it was easy to imagine New York society ladies arriving on the plaza below to take in an evening of ballet or opera. Photos: NYFW Week celebrity sightings The look: Old world glamour for the here and now. Pin-tucked, floral print chiffon day dresses that hugged every curve.

At Sunday's Super Bowl, Beyonce wore costumes that incorporated leather and exotic iguana and snakeskin. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals wishes she hadn't. And that she hadn't worn a fur coat to President Obama's inauguration in January, either. "We would take a bet that if Beyoncé watched our video exposés, she'd probably not want to be seen again in anything made of snakes, lizards, rabbits or other animals who died painfully," The organization reportedly said in a statement.

As a kid growing up in New York, Zac Posen loved musical theater and crooned with a choir every day for 12 years. He always figured he'd come to Los Angeles to sing, act or direct. The 21-year-old has finally made it here, but not as an entertainer. Posen is in Los Angeles as a fashion designer, his creations hot off the catwalks of Manhattan, where he generated the kind of fashion buzz that Oscar week produces for Academy Award-nominated stars.

NEW YORK -- Red carpet favorite Zac Posen showed his collection Sunday evening on the terrace of Avery Fisher Hall overlooking Lincoln Center Plaza. As the sun set and Posen's old world glamour gowns glided onto the runway, it was easy to imagine New York society ladies arriving on the plaza below to take in an evening of ballet or opera. Photos: NYFW Week celebrity sightings The look: Old world glamour for the here and now. Pin-tucked, floral print chiffon day dresses that hugged every curve.

It could be the marriage of two of the fashion world's finest impresarios. Zac Posen, the 23-year-old designer who dresses Claire Danes, Natalie Portman and other fresh-faced young stars, announced Tuesday he has entered into a joint venture with hip-hop clothier, music mogul and party promoter Sean "P. Diddy" Combs, known for living it up in St. Tropez, riding on the back of a Jet Ski in his bathrobe.

Sean "P. DIDDY" COMBS isn't showing his Sean John collection here this week, but he is playing fashion mogul. First he appeared at the Tommy Hilfiger show, seated across from ex Jennifer Lopez (no, they didn't make eye contact). Then he arrived at Zac Posen's show wearing a diamond cross as big as his fist, with a little white dog and a beefy entourage in tow.

At Sunday's Super Bowl, Beyonce wore costumes that incorporated leather and exotic iguana and snakeskin. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals wishes she hadn't. And that she hadn't worn a fur coat to President Obama's inauguration in January, either. "We would take a bet that if Beyoncé watched our video exposés, she'd probably not want to be seen again in anything made of snakes, lizards, rabbits or other animals who died painfully," The organization reportedly said in a statement.

Jessica Chastain's yearlong fashion parade — from the release of seven films in 2011 and the attendant press junkets and premieres — shows that the actress favors feminine frocks with strong punches of color, such as teal, violet and crimson. But Chastain's most striking look so far is the bold yellow Zac Posen gown she wore at the Cannes Film Festival, which, with its structured bodice, tiered skirt and vibrant hue, popped against the red carpet-covered stairs like a spray of sunshine.

The best-dressed celebrities at Sunday's Golden Globes got the message that simpler is almost always better when it comes to red carpet dressing. Simple also happens to be what's new in fashion now, with "minimalism" being the watchword for the last two runway seasons. Claire Danes was the big red-carpet winner in a neon pink silk halter gown by designer Francisco Costa for Calvin Klein. Costa also designed Emma Stone's cap-sleeved, open-back, nectar-colored silk crepe gown, which was so simple, sleek and confident that it made much of the rest of the night's apparel look overdone and duded-up.

Even as a style-obsessed teen growing up in New York City, I had no idea when it was fashion week, the twice-a-year occasion when designers roll out their collections for a season hence for select store buyers and influential editors. But now, it's impossible to ignore. There are banners on lampposts announcing the event and features on the taxi TV video loop promoting it. On Wednesday, Mayor Bloomberg even renamed the No. 1 subway line "The Fashion Line" for the week. Which is all to say that this fashion week belongs to the city.

Jessica Chastain's yearlong fashion parade — from the release of seven films in 2011 and the attendant press junkets and premieres — shows that the actress favors feminine frocks with strong punches of color, such as teal, violet and crimson. But Chastain's most striking look so far is the bold yellow Zac Posen gown she wore at the Cannes Film Festival, which, with its structured bodice, tiered skirt and vibrant hue, popped against the red carpet-covered stairs like a spray of sunshine.

The best-dressed celebrities at Sunday's Golden Globes got the message that simpler is almost always better when it comes to red carpet dressing. Simple also happens to be what's new in fashion now, with "minimalism" being the watchword for the last two runway seasons. Claire Danes was the big red-carpet winner in a neon pink silk halter gown by designer Francisco Costa for Calvin Klein. Costa also designed Emma Stone's cap-sleeved, open-back, nectar-colored silk crepe gown, which was so simple, sleek and confident that it made much of the rest of the night's apparel look overdone and duded-up.

Even as a style-obsessed teen growing up in New York City, I had no idea when it was fashion week, the twice-a-year occasion when designers roll out their collections for a season hence for select store buyers and influential editors. But now, it's impossible to ignore. There are banners on lampposts announcing the event and features on the taxi TV video loop promoting it. On Wednesday, Mayor Bloomberg even renamed the No. 1 subway line "The Fashion Line" for the week. Which is all to say that this fashion week belongs to the city.

Sean "P. DIDDY" COMBS isn't showing his Sean John collection here this week, but he is playing fashion mogul. First he appeared at the Tommy Hilfiger show, seated across from ex Jennifer Lopez (no, they didn't make eye contact). Then he arrived at Zac Posen's show wearing a diamond cross as big as his fist, with a little white dog and a beefy entourage in tow.

It could be the marriage of two of the fashion world's finest impresarios. Zac Posen, the 23-year-old designer who dresses Claire Danes, Natalie Portman and other fresh-faced young stars, announced Tuesday he has entered into a joint venture with hip-hop clothier, music mogul and party promoter Sean "P. Diddy" Combs, known for living it up in St. Tropez, riding on the back of a Jet Ski in his bathrobe.

As a kid growing up in New York, Zac Posen loved musical theater and crooned with a choir every day for 12 years. He always figured he'd come to Los Angeles to sing, act or direct. The 21-year-old has finally made it here, but not as an entertainer. Posen is in Los Angeles as a fashion designer, his creations hot off the catwalks of Manhattan, where he generated the kind of fashion buzz that Oscar week produces for Academy Award-nominated stars.

Jaclyn Shanfeld moves from garment to garment with the unbridled joy of a little girl rummaging in her mother's closet. From the "wall of Chanel" Shanfeld retrieves a light pink and lavender jacket that once fetched $3,200 but was priced for resale at $750. She shows off the unmarked soles of a pair Nicholas Kirkwood boots, originally purchased for $1,500 that are now offered for $700. She unveils a sheer black, sleeveless Alaia gown bought for a special occasion - but never worn.