Isaac Mizrahi: An Unruly History opens at The Jewish Museum

By

Obi Anyanwu

Published
Mar 22, 2016

The Jewish Museum on Friday opened its Isaac Mizrahi: An Unruly History exhibit, which focuses on the American designer that came onto the fashion scene in the late 1980s.

The exhibit explores Mizrahi’s position in high style and popular culture that goes beyond fashion design. The American designer’s almost 30-year career includes acting, directing, set and costume design, writing and cabaret performance.
 
An Unruly History showcases 42 looks from Mizrahi’s iconic designs, including clothing, hats, jewelry, shoes and accessories from his Isaac Mizrahi New York clothing label from (1987 – 1988), semi-couture collections (2003 – 2011) and his Target line (2002 – 2008). The show also includes costumes for the theater, the opera and the Mark Morris Dance Group, as well as Mizrahi’s original drawings, performance stills and behind-the-scenes photographs.

Lastly, a bespoke multi-screen video installation showcases various film and television cameos and runway shows like appearances on Project Runway and the QVC network show Isaac Mizrahi Live!, as well as the award-winning documentary Unzipped; the television program The Isaac Mizrahi Show; and scenes from the caberet, LES MIZrahi.

Several related events are planned while the exhibit is on view including a dialogue between Mizrahi and Wendy Goodman, a conversation between Mizrahi and Mark Morris, and a screening of Unzipped, the documentary about the making of Mizrahi’s fall 1994 collection.
 
Born in Brooklyn, New York, Mizrahi attended New York City’s High School for the Performing Arts, followed by the Parsons School of Design. His clothing line, Isaac Mizrahi New York, launched at Bergdorf Goodman in 1986 and he won numerous awards in the following years including the CFDA Womenswear Designer of the Year Award, which he won twice in 1989 and 1991. He closed down his fashion house in 1998 and focused on theater and dance, designing costumes and sets. Today, he stars on Isaac Mizrahi Live on QVC and is currently at work on a television series and memoir.
 
Isaac Mizrahi: An Unruly History is on view from March 18 through August 7, 2016.