House of Z, the Sandy Chronopoulos-directed documentary about the life and career of fashion designer Zac Posen, is an interesting watch. Especially for those curious about the nature and challenges of working in the fashion industry as a designer.

Featuring video footage of a young Posen’s early life and interviews with his collaborators, family and friends, House of Z does an adequate job of painting a clear picture that shows us more than just the creations that speak of Posen’s undeniable talent. We learn about just how instrumental the support of his family was in his early success. We also learn about what went wrong, Posen’s eventual fall from grace, followed by an update of what the designer is doing now.

If you’ve seen one or more fashion films or documentaries, you can probably guess that the classic battle between art and commerce is covered in this film. The general rule being that bad things happen when that relationship isn’t managed well.

House of Z is not a perfect documentary, in part because some of the editing early on in the film felt awkward. But, should you be curious enough, watch it for Posen’s artistry – the magnificent dresses and the cautionary tale about the relationship between commerce plus art, and finding success at a young age.

The part of House of Z that I enjoyed most is, of course, when I got to look at Posen’s truly breathtaking early designs, just as the fashion world was beginning to pay attention. I also liked the beautiful words of Joseph Campbell at the end about ‘following your bliss’.

Happy Film Loving,

G