Isaac aficionados range from women who grabbed up his trailblazing collection of clothes at Target Stores from 2002 to 2008 (his line reportedly represented about $300 million a year for the chain, and catapulted it into the world of style), to those who selected his breathtaking runway designs for their hoity-toity, high-society affairs. Many women even might have done both, mixing $15 Isaac tops from Target with $5,000 Isaac bottoms they coveted at Fashion Week. And today, millions of women shop Isaac Mizrahi Live! on QVC, where they can also buy his gift and home creations, from bedding to note cards.
Unruly History is comprised of 42 looks that include clothing, hats, jewelry, shoes, accessories, and costumes for the theater, the opera, and the Mark Morris Dance Group. The designer’s magnificent original drawings grace two parallel walls and create a show unto itself. If you live in the New York area, or plan to be in town before August 7th, I assure you that the exhibit is a treat, a confection of colors, prints, textures, whimsy, sophistication, and genius.
Before you go, you might want to watch Unzipped, the 1995 cult documentary that follows Isaac as he plans his 1994 collection. Billed as a “behind the seams look at the world of high fashion,” the film was directed by Douglas Keeve, Isaac’s boyfriend at the time, and it caused their breakup. Nevertheless, Isaac told this to Vogue last year: “I haven’t looked at it since the day I approved the final edit. I mean occasionally I see it on TV when it gets played and I go, ‘Oh my god.’ But of course it’s very important to me.”
I’ll never forget the red and white Isaac slip-on shoes I wore decades ago, which made me feel “cool.” When I was strolling through the exhibition, I realized how cool, clever, creative, capricious and captivating Isaac really is. Definitely worth celebrating!