Zac Posen's Mom Susan Quits His Company

Zac Posen's mom Susan is quitting her role as chairman of his company, WWD reports. Susan e-mailed the fashion newspaper: "It has been nearly 10 years since Zac, Alexandra and I founded Zac Posen....The company is now poised for a new phase of growth, and I have decided it is time to step aside from my current role as acting ceo and pursue other interests."

Sources told WWD that Yucaipa, the company that owns Posen, "was getting increasingly frustrated with the lack of return on its Zac Posen investment and sought a change at the helm to steer the business in a new, more profitable direction."

Last December, Posen remarked he was in "survival mode," but in April, Susan told the Wall Street Journal that the label would make its first profit in 2010. Posen showed his line at Paris Fashion Week this past season, saying the city better understands his clothes.

His collection was met with lukewarm reviews. Cathy Horyn wrote:

Mr. Posen's collection was also a bit generic: a glamorous romp of feathers, sheer, slithery dresses and plume-tipped stilettos. He might as well have hung out a sign that said "I [Heart] Paris!"

Then, again, why shouldn't he enjoy himself? The clothes showed more finesse and surprise than any he has done in New York in recent seasons.

And Nicole Phelps of Style.com wrote:

Subtlety has never been Posen's MO, nor are we suggesting it should be, but it wouldn't have hurt if he'd picked up a few pointers on chic simplicity from Monsieur Saint Laurent.