Posen brought a modern sensibility to the ancient statue, using the classic white T-shirt—a Gap staple—as a jumping-off point. “I took a white Gap T-shirt off of my back in my studio and started pulling it and tweaking it and figuring out how—in a contemporary way, in a glamorous way—to interpret the sculpture that influenced humanity and our modern culture,” he says. (Also on the mood board were masters of jersey and drapery: Madame Grès, Azzedine Alaïa, Roy Halston Frowick, Madeleine Vionnet, Geoffrey Beene, and Claire McCardell.)
Jenner, who was “super, super, super involved” in the process, was keen to capture the rippling, windswept tunic with an ultrathin fabric, which led Posen to a lightweight cotton-viscose blend that created a wet drapery look. “It’s been really cool to see him work. I can see his wheels turning, which is such a treat for me,” Jenner says. “I love being a part of every step of the process.” The designer added some dimension by layering the tea-dyed liquid jersey with satin-face chiffon and organza to mimic the statue’s fluid drapery.
Winged Victory of Samothrace, circa 190 B.C.
Heritage Images/Getty Images
Zac Posen’s sketch for Kendall Jenner.
Courtesy of GapStudio
Posen also commissioned Abel Cepeda Ljoka and Will Kowall of the New York brand Seks to create the base of the dress, a leather corset to be worn underneath. “We 3D-printed her body and made a mannequin and a bust of it that is the corset underneath this,” he explains. Posen draped the fabric to show off the corset like an exposed breast.
Of course, no homage to Nike is complete without her wings. “[Kendall] said that she wanted it effortless and light,” Posen explains. The pair landed on fashioning the wings in an airy, satin-faced chiffon. “After this draping, we started looking at photographic imagery of the actual wings from the Victory of Samothrace, and we created these photographic large-scale 3D prints on fabric,” Posen explains. When Jenner lifts her arms on the carpet, Nike’s wings will fan out as she moves.
