“Clarity, risk, and brevity” are what Zac Posen learned from Jane Avrich, the English teacher whose class on the literature of seduction influenced his aesthetic.

“Once he turned the classroom into an Eden-like paradise,” recalls Ms. Avrich. “Silvery music played in the background, iridescent fabric swirled, paper flowers bloomed, and glitter rained down around us.”

Behind Every Famous Person is a Fabulous Teacher.