The 1 Thing Zac Posen Says You Should Never Do at a Dinner Party

Zac Posen's illustrious gowns have been red carpet staples since the designer hopped on the fashion scene as a wunderkind in the early aughts. With such sartorial success, some might be surprised to learn that Zac has of late been channeling his inner Martha Stewart, making inroads into the lifestyle realm with playful initiatives, like #CookingWithZac that highlights all his most sumptuous homemade dishes on social media and a Summer 2015 wine bottle design for Ecco Domani. As Zac revealed to POPSUGAR, however, this is just a natural exploration of his longtime love of everything entertaining related. Keep reading to see the sage wisdom this budding lifestyle guru imparted to POPSUGAR.

On the value of entertaining: Entertaining is like giving a gift, and it's a gift to be included into your intimate world.

On his dinner party preparation process: Everything starts with the company you're inviting. You have to put together a meal that makes your guests feel comfortable.

On the importance of a beautiful tablescape: I think a great tabletop and glasses are essential because those are a tactile part of the experience of the flavor and eating.

On his entertaining philosophy: I think that you want the decadence of great entertaining interpreted through your own means and creativity, and you also want people to enjoy and have fun. There's no reason for the pomp and circumstance and the conservative rules of entertaining.

On his guest no-nos: I don't like if I'm having a dinner party and people are on their phones the whole time at dinner. I don't know if they'll be invited back.

On the success of his #CookingWithZac: When I started cooking, people were so surprised that A. fashion people eat, to begin with, and B. it was just a good hashtag.

On fashion vs. food: I think [fashion] is a very fascinating business that's ever-changing and that I love to be in, but, at the end of the day, food is even more universal.

On designing a wine bottle for Ecco Domanibrand>: I picked a print from a textile we designed in our [fashion] collection that was based on a fabric I had bought in Japan. . . . We reimagined the pattern of it for the bottle. It's going to look good on a more modern decor table; it's something more decorative.