Isaac Mizrahi returns to the stage and screen with ‘Hooray!’ and ‘Unzipped’ re-release
From GLP-1 weight-loss drugs to a silvery lamé suit, Mizrahi discusses his enduring legacy and the ‘no real spine’ of modern style in a new interview with The Guardian.
Fashion designer and performer Isaac Mizrahi is preparing for a four-night cabaret residency titled Hooray! at 54 Below in New York from 12 to 15 August. The 64-year-old, who defined 1990s style with his eponymous label, also discusses the upcoming 4K re-release of his 1995 documentary Unzipped in US cinemas on 25 September, with UK and Australian releases to follow. In a recent interview with The Guardian, Mizrahi reflected on the shift in the fashion industry from an uncontrolled scene to a corporate structure, noting that fashion now has "no real spine" but is more accessible.
Mizrahi’s studio in New York’s Greenwich Village currently holds sketches, memorabilia, and two dolls he created for a 2014 exhibition at the New Museum. He is busy firming up the setlist for his latest cabaret act, which follows his annual summer residency pattern at the midtown venue. He notes that the cheer of the show derives from the knowledge that August marks the end of the summer, a season he describes as the "nadir of the world".
The designer revealed he has recently started using a GLP-1 weight-loss drug, noting he is already "so thin" and plans to wear a silvery lamé suit made during the pandemic that previously did not fit. Mizrahi, who attended the High School of Performing Arts and had a small part in the film Fame, said he would like to be known as a performer as well as a designer. He has held New York residencies for the past decade, wintering at the Carlyle hotel and summering at 54 Below.
Unzipped, directed by his then-partner Douglas Keeve, features cameos from Naomi Campbell, Kate Moss, and Liza Minnelli, documenting the creation of his 1994 fall collection. Mizrahi described the current fashion industry as "corporate" with controlled attendance, contrasting it with the "out of control" nature of the 1990s scene where crowds were uninvited and infrastructure issues like power outages occurred. He believes the top-down transmission of fashion is gone, but welcomes the accessibility that has replaced it.
Mizrahi is also working on a new TV series that has been written and received a green light, though he remains tight-lipped about the project and its director. He credited his former employer Perry Ellis for influencing his humorous approach to fashion, recalling a studio atmosphere where beauty was described as "hilarious". After the cabaret wraps and the film re-releases, Mizrahi expressed gratitude for his continuing success, stating he is "sure glad that it’s happened".
