Zac Posen poses with models wearing his designs at a presentation of the Zac Posen Resort 2008 collection in New York on Wednesday, June 4, 2008.[Agencies]

With financial backing by Sean "Diddy" Combs, Posen is able to create elaborate intarsia knits like the exploding sunburst versions cut into flared tennis dresses for this collection, or knit metallic thread into what looked like thick chains, for a halter-necked mini-dress. Multicolored copper jacquard gets draped into a sculptured sleeve jacket with matching pencil skirt, or a swirling gown gathered around the body like a conch shell.

"We wanted it to look like electrical wiring," said Posen of the ensembles, impressively patterned in Posen's atelier directly from his draping.