POSEN FOR AN AD: When Luis Venegas, publisher of the indie fashion magazine Fanzine137, offered Zac Posen a double spread to create his ideal ad, the designer jumped at the chance. He enrolled photographer Ellen von Unwerth, his stylist friend Christopher Niquet and model Alexandra Tomlinson for a day, and directed the shoot at his friend Lorraine Kirke’s house in December. “Once Ellen saw me singing Cole Porter, laying on top of Lorraine’s grand piano, she decided it had to be the spot for the picture,” Posen said.
The resulting visual — Posen’s first ad ever — appears in the spring-summer issue of the magazine, which features Lonnie Anderson on the cover and is available at such stores as Opening Ceremony and St. Mark’s Bookshop. Posen said his inspiration for the ad was a mix of Ava Gardner in the movie “The Barefoot Contessa” and classic Fifties Revlon advertising. In the shot, Tomlinson wears one of Posen’s spring leopard-kiss print powder pink dresses, and holds a cat.
“The hardest part was selecting the best image,” Posen said. “You want something that grabs the attention on the page and something that is simple…direct and cohesive. I wanted it to be pure and true to yourself and to your customer.”
