A new documentary takes us beyond the runway with designer Zac Posen

Many of us know Zac Posen and his famous fashion designs but a new documentary takes a deeper look at Posen both on and off the runway. 

House of Z tells the story of Posen's rise in the fashion world and the family ties he has behind the scenes. (His mother and sister helped Posen run his original atelier set up in their family's apartment.) "I felt pressure about supporting my family," Posen admits, of his early years.

Eventually, that pressure went away as Posen continued to climb the fashion ranks, and nowadays, his designs are staples on the red carpet including, most recently, Katie Holmes at the Met Gala. So what goes into Posen's mind when he's designing?

"I think emotions, I think of form, I think of the female body itself and how one uses character and personality and how I can tell that through form and texture, to hold some kind of power," Posen explains. "Good clothing should empower a person or make them feel comfortable. On the red carpet, I think that I have a role in making people dream, to inspire them to create." 

House of Z will be screening at Toronto's TIFF Bell Lightbox today as part of this year's Hot Docs Canadian International Film Festival. For more information about the screening, head over the festival's website. 

— Produced by Ty Callender