Who? Brooklyn-born Isaac Mizrahi, 42, is famous not only for his quintessential, 'seasonless' American designs and unique red-carpet gowns but also for his roles in the entertainment industry. He is breaking ground by creating upmarket chic at mass-market prices. His clientele includes Madonna, Sandra Bernhardt, Natasha Richardson, Liza Minelli, Oprah Winfrey, Uma Thurman and now the rest of America. Having retreated from the fashion front in the 1990s, it seems the designer is making a return with the launch of his Target collection as well as his couture label.
How did it happen? Mizrahi's socialite mother and clothing manufacturer father immersed him in fashion at an early age, and he designed clothes for his mother's friends as a teenager. After he graduated from Parsons School of Design in New York in 1982, he was apprenticed to designers Perry Ellis, Jeff Banks and Calvin Klein. By 1987 he had formed his own company and presented his debut collection. For his efforts he was presented the designer of the year award by the Council of Fashion Designers of America in 1990. Since then he has collected four CFDA awards. A decade after he opened shop he closed his doors owing to poor sales. Instead, he pursued his interest in the movie industry with the creation of his acclaimed film Unzipped, which exposes the sobering realities of the fashion world.
Despite his penchant for showbiz, the designer returned to his first love in 2003 when he unveiled his collection for mass-market retailer Target, offering his designs for from US$17.99 to $69.99. June 14, 2004, marked the beginning of what some call Mizrahi's second coming: his first show since bankruptcy, hosted by Target, showcased both Isaac Mizrahi for Target and Isaac Mizrahi New York, his new line of couture made-to-measure designs with prices ranging from $5,000 to $8,000.
What are the clothes like? Mizrahi's colourful clothes were what enamoured him to the fashion pack from his first collection. He has stayed true to his love of colour, using bright, luxurious materials alongside intricate detailing on both his whimsical haute-couture and ready-to-wear lines.
What does the designer have to say? 'I think in the end, all art is, is being a big fat fool, because somebody's not gonna like what you do. Or somebody's gonna love what you do, no matter how bad or good it is.'