Legendary Designer Zac Posen Dishes on His Latest Gig: Costume Designing for “Feud: Capote vs. The Swans”

The famed fashion designer talks about designing costumes for Naomi Watts, Demi Moore, and Molly Ringwald, working with Ryan Murphy, and making a cameo in the show!

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Zac Posen at the FEUD: Capote vs. The Swans premiere.

This is not an exaggeration.

Zac Posen and I were basically children when we first met.

He was barely 20 years old and the toast of New York.

I was, well, a few years older and just starting to think about covering fashion.

We became fast friends and have remained close for more than 20 years.

So you can imagine how thrilled I was when my dear friend got a big gig and called me to talk about it.

The celebrated television producer Ryan Murphy tapped Zac to create the costumes for a key episode in the new series, FEUD: Capote Vs. The Swans, which premieres tonight on FX.

If you know Zac, it won’t surprise you that he worked on the costumes for the upcoming episode that centers around Truman Capote’s legendary Black and White Ball.

I sat down with Zac a few days ago to talk about how he got the job, what it was like to work on this plum project, and his cameo in the show.

That’s right.

Blink and you might miss it… but Zac makes an appearance in the show.

Here are excerpts from our conversation.

GETTING THE JOB

ALINA CHO:  Let’s talk about Capote Vs. The Swans and your involvement in it. How did you get the job?

ZAC POSEN:  It started off with a dinner with my friend, Gus Van Sant, who I've known for years. [Van Sant directed the series]. He had flown into New York two summers ago for location scouting. [At] dinner, he said, “I’m doing something on the Swans and their relationship with Truman [Capote].” At the end of dinner, I said, “I’m doing one-of-a-kind pieces today. I could help you out.”

ALINA CHO:  Totally, right?

ZAC POSEN:  He said, “I need to introduce you to Lou [Eyrich], the costume designer.” I met Lou, and she said, “I have to talk to Ryan [Murphy] and Ryan will get back to you.” And then two months went by and I kind-of thought this wasn't happening. And then, literally, I ran into Ryan on a buffet line.

ALINA CHO:  No, you didn't. That's hilarious. What did you say?

ZAC POSEN:  I said, “Do you know about this?” He's like, “Well, tell me.” And then he said, “I want you to do the Black and White Ball.”

Photo Credit: The New York Times.

Photo Credit: The New York Times. “Capote said he paid 39 cents at F.A.O. Schwarz for a black Halloween mask. He had a supply of them for men who showed up at his party without masks.”

ALINA CHO:  Amazing. Is this your first time making costumes for television?

Photo Credit: The New York Times. “From left, Principessa Luciana Pignatelli, Peter Gimbel and Contessa Crespi at Truman Capote’s Black and White Ball at the Plaza hotel in Manhattan in 1966.”

ZAC POSEN:  I think it is. Over the years, I've worked with [stylist] Patricia Field on both Sex and the City movies. I famously did all the girls, except Carrie, for the wedding.

Wedding scene from Sex and the City.

ZAC POSEN:  I worked with Rihanna for Ocean's 8. I did costumes for a scene in Ugly Betty.

Rihanna in Ocean’s 8.

ALINA CHO:  But this, for some reason, feels different to me.

ZAC POSEN:  Totally. This is a whole other level. This is what I call Ryan Murphy fabulosity.  

DRAPING TO THE BLACK AND WHITE BALL PLAYLIST

ALINA CHO:  I saw your Instagram post with all of the books that you looked at for research.

ZAC POSEN:  Obviously, there are the incredible biographies, historical bios, illustrations, and then, I met [so many incredible people] who shared so much, down to [specific] fabrics [that were used], sequin finishes, and I found [what I believe is] the last existing, still operating silk flower maker company — a family business in New York. That was a very big thing.

ALINA CHO:  Wow.

ZAC POSEN:  And then, [author] Deborah Davis appeared with what was, for me, the breakthrough moment. She knew that CBS had done a live broadcast of the entrances to the ball.

Photo Credit: The New York Times. “The actress Candice Bergen holds her rabbit mask while she dances.”

ALINA CHO:  Oh my God.

ZAC POSEN:  Through this process, I learned about Babe Paley's dress, what material it was, and the kind of crimson red Duchess that it was lined in. Garnet and ruby necklaces.

ALINA CHO:  I also think people need to understand that that party was singular in that it signaled the end of an era. It was known as the party of the century.

ZAC POSEN:  And people thought it was really boring, too.

ALINA CHO:  I found that hilarious.

ZAC POSEN:  It was a fucking drag. The Agnellis flew in their whole set from Italy, and they couldn’t wait to get out.

ALINA CHO:  Hilarious.

ZAC POSEN:  The person who looked like she had the most fun was Lee Radziwill because she had a great date. I became very versed in this world down to what music and songs were playing.

ALINA CHO:  Wow.

ZAC POSEN:  I was draping to the playlist.

Mia Farrow and Frank Sinatra.

ALINA CHO:  Because I work on television and I know that just in the performance of it, I always say, when people ask me, “How can I be better on television?” I always say, “You have to emote twice as much as you normally would so as to appear as though you're emoting normally on television.” And I would think that same sort of idea applies to clothes, right?

ZAC POSEN:  Yeah, of course. When I [first] presented these three-dimensional great pieces to Ryan, he came in and said, “I didn't hire you to recreate history. I want more. I want elevated. I need graphic.”

Zac Posen costume for Babe Paley, played by Naomi Watts.

ALINA CHO:  So interesting.

ZAC POSEN:  You've known me a long time. That is one of the first times in my career that I've been told, “More!”

Zac Posen costume for C. Z. Guest, played by Chloë Sevigny.

ALINA CHO:  No kidding.

ZAC POSEN:  Pump up. Tone up. More!

ALINA CHO:  Amazing.

ZAC POSEN:  How refreshing and joyous and delicious.

ALINA CHO:  This must have been such a joy for you. I can hear it in your voice.

ZAC POSEN:  This took me back to my childhood in Spring Street, playing with my dolls and putting on mini musical operas in my maquette theater.

ZAC MAKES A CAMEO!

ZAC POSEN:  What I will say is, how cool for him, Ryan [Murphy], to hire me, to get the opportunity to work with [costume designer] Lou [Eyrich], who is really at the top of her game. I learned so much watching her. And then to be able to be on set with Gus [Van Sant] was a dream. And my greatest moment of the whole thing was putting Jessica Lange, who plays an apparition, in a fantasy historical piece, walking her into The Plaza [Hotel] for her waltz scene.  

Photo courtesy: Zac Posen.

ALINA CHO:  It was all of your dreams come to life.

ZAC POSEN:  Yeah, totally. It was just amazing. Magic.

ALINA CHO:  You've seen the episode, right?

ZAC POSEN:  Yeah, I've seen the whole series.

ALINA CHO:  So, what did you think? What did you think about how you did?  

ZAC POSEN:  God, I'm always my worst critic.

ALINA CHO:  I know. I always am, too.

ZAC POSEN:  Did I tell you, I’m in a scene? I’m Slim [Keith’s] walker. [Slim Keith is played by Diane Lane].

ALINA CHO:  Oh my God. I love that.

ZAC POSEN:  I remove her cape.

ALINA CHO:  Amazing.

ZAC POSEN:  And only a person who drapes knows how to swoop around a cape.

ALINA CHO:  Oh, you know how to swoop around a cape.

ZAC POSEN:  It was humbling. Humbling. It was a fucking blast.