Fashion & Style News: Zac Posen Launches Cheaper Sportswear Line

Times are a changing and fashion designers are no strangers to adversity. With the fashion industry being adversely affected by the recession, many designers are cutting back and making concessions just to stay relevant. Zac Posen, who is well-known in the fashion industry for his cutting-edge eveningwear, is not immune to the pitfalls of an economic recession.

After receiving much pressure from the press and retailers to expand his collection, Posen has decided to launch a sportswear collection. However, instead of including it as part of his signature high-end label, Posen will release the line as an entirely separate lower-priced label called Z Spoke.

Z Spoke will be tailored to the fashionista who cannot afford to shell out thousands of dollars for chic sportswear. The designs will be approached with a minimalist and militarian aesthetic which is a far cry from the red carpet head-turning looks that Posen is famously known for in the industry.

The sportswear collection will introduce 60 pieces inspired by the “downtown urban hipster” street style that will range from knits, cotton shirting, blazers, and pleated khaki shorts. For the most part, the Z Spokes pieces will be sold in neutral hues with sparks of vibrant colors that will pop up in the collection from time to time. When the brand launches in spring 2010, it will be sold exclusively at 17 different Saks Fifth Avenue’s retail stores. Consumers will also be able to purchase Posen’s low-priced sportswear at Saks.com. Its price point will range from $78 for a cotton T-shirt to $675 for a knit dress which is reasonably priced in comparison with Posen’s designer collection that has a price point which ranges from $900 to $12,000 and can peak as high as $20,000 for custom pieces.

Zac Posen’s launch of Z Spoke is befitting to the current downturn shift in the fashion industry and couldn’t have happened at a much better time. The release of Z Spoke will prove to be a great financial growth opportunity for Posen and a beneficial opportunity for style conscious consumers whom cannot afford to buy clothing from Posen’s high-end line. As fashion designers continue to make sacrificial cut-backs and launch lines catered to a lower-priced market, fashionistas can continue to look forward to fashionably affordable apparel as they ride out this recession.