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Isaac Mizrahi
Isaac Mizrahi (born October 14, 1961) is an American fashion designer, actor, singer, television presenter and chief designer of the Isaac Mizrahi brand for Xcel Brands. Based in New York City, he is best known for his eponymous fashion lines. Mizrahi was previously a judge on Project Runway All Stars. In 2022 he played Amos Hart in the long-running Broadway revival of Chicago.
Mizrahi was born in Brooklyn, the son of Sarah and Zeke Mizrahi, who was a children's clothing manufacturer. He is of Syrian-Jewish descent. His maternal grandparents were Jews from Aleppo, Syria. He grew up as the youngest boy of his family in Midwood, Brooklyn. He bought his first sewing machine at the age of ten with money he had saved from babysitting that summer. At 15, he launched his own label, IS New York, with the help of a family friend. He attended Yeshivah of Flatbush, Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts, and the Parsons School of Design at The New School.
Mizrahi presented his first collection in 1987 at a trunk show held by New York department store Bergdorf Goodman. The line immediately earned praise from fashion editors, prompting several top retailers to place orders. In 1989, he discussed his designs in an interview with Elizabeth Cannon. He described them as "controlled and glamorous", "elegant", "distilled, refined", inspired by decadence, and by the diversity of New York City. He also expressed his interest in appealing to a refined and exclusive clientele. In 1992, the French fashion house Chanel bought a stake in the company and began to bankroll its operations. Despite continued critical acclaim, sales were inconsistent; Bloomingdale's executive Kal Ruttenstein stated that Mizrahi had "good years and bad years." This volatility is mainly attributed[by whom?] to the designer's failure to establish a defined aesthetic or "Mizrahi look", as the frenetic designer was famed for changing gears each season. Though the company grossed $10–20 million a year, it never made a profit, and lost substantial amounts[clarification needed] in its final four years of operation. Chanel eventually tired of the mounting losses and pulled financing in October 1998, forcing the closure of the company after the Fall 1998 collection. Among Mizrahi's fans and clients were Hollywood stars Nicole Kidman, Selma Blair, Julia Roberts, Sarah Jessica Parker, Debra Messing and Natalie Portman.
From 1995 to 1997, Mizrahi also designed a diffusion line, named "IS**C" in an act of "name effacement" intended to prevent dilution of the designer's full name. This lower-priced line (in the $275 to $850 range) was meant to diversify the label from the very expensive Isaac Mizrahi collection, but it failed to gain traction and was shuttered in 1997.
Mizrahi returned to fashion in 2002 with the launch of Isaac Mizrahi for Target, a diffusion line that became a major commercial success. The collection eventually expanded to include accessories, bedding, housewares, and pet products. Over five years, sales tripled to more than $300 million, establishing Mizrahi as a household name. The Target line was discontinued in 2008 when Mizrahi departed to design for Liz Claiborne. At the time, Liz Claiborne—a brand founded in 1976—was struggling. After Mizrahi's contract with Target expired, Liz Claiborne outbid the retailer for his services, hoping he could reinvigorate the brand. However, the partnership lasted only one year.
The 2009 collection, rebranded as Liz Claiborne New York, was sold in national department stores such as Macy's, Belk, and Dillard's, as in previous years. The Liz Claiborne logo was also redesigned. Mizrahi's Spring/Summer 2009 collection debuted in January, followed by his Fall 2009 collection in April, and a Holiday line later that year. Advertising campaigns for the spring and fall collections featured Mizrahi alongside women of various sizes, races, and ages, and appeared in major fashion magazines.
Despite these efforts, the line sold poorly. The weak performance was attributed primarily to the economic downturn and strategic missteps made before Mizrahi's arrival. His bold use of color and playful aesthetic may also have clashed with Liz Claiborne's more conservative customer base. In late 2009, the Liz Claiborne brand was licensed to J.C. Penney—which had carried the Liz&Co. diffusion line since 2007—and was later acquired by the retailer. Mizrahi does not design the J.C. Penney version of the brand. His Liz Claiborne New York collection was moved to QVC, where it remained until his contract ended in December 2016.
In 2010, Mizrahi launched a label called IsaacMizrahiLIVE! exclusively on QVC.
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Isaac Mizrahi
Isaac Mizrahi (born October 14, 1961) is an American fashion designer, actor, singer, television presenter and chief designer of the Isaac Mizrahi brand for Xcel Brands. Based in New York City, he is best known for his eponymous fashion lines. Mizrahi was previously a judge on Project Runway All Stars. In 2022 he played Amos Hart in the long-running Broadway revival of Chicago.
Mizrahi was born in Brooklyn, the son of Sarah and Zeke Mizrahi, who was a children's clothing manufacturer. He is of Syrian-Jewish descent. His maternal grandparents were Jews from Aleppo, Syria. He grew up as the youngest boy of his family in Midwood, Brooklyn. He bought his first sewing machine at the age of ten with money he had saved from babysitting that summer. At 15, he launched his own label, IS New York, with the help of a family friend. He attended Yeshivah of Flatbush, Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts, and the Parsons School of Design at The New School.
Mizrahi presented his first collection in 1987 at a trunk show held by New York department store Bergdorf Goodman. The line immediately earned praise from fashion editors, prompting several top retailers to place orders. In 1989, he discussed his designs in an interview with Elizabeth Cannon. He described them as "controlled and glamorous", "elegant", "distilled, refined", inspired by decadence, and by the diversity of New York City. He also expressed his interest in appealing to a refined and exclusive clientele. In 1992, the French fashion house Chanel bought a stake in the company and began to bankroll its operations. Despite continued critical acclaim, sales were inconsistent; Bloomingdale's executive Kal Ruttenstein stated that Mizrahi had "good years and bad years." This volatility is mainly attributed[by whom?] to the designer's failure to establish a defined aesthetic or "Mizrahi look", as the frenetic designer was famed for changing gears each season. Though the company grossed $10–20 million a year, it never made a profit, and lost substantial amounts[clarification needed] in its final four years of operation. Chanel eventually tired of the mounting losses and pulled financing in October 1998, forcing the closure of the company after the Fall 1998 collection. Among Mizrahi's fans and clients were Hollywood stars Nicole Kidman, Selma Blair, Julia Roberts, Sarah Jessica Parker, Debra Messing and Natalie Portman.
From 1995 to 1997, Mizrahi also designed a diffusion line, named "IS**C" in an act of "name effacement" intended to prevent dilution of the designer's full name. This lower-priced line (in the $275 to $850 range) was meant to diversify the label from the very expensive Isaac Mizrahi collection, but it failed to gain traction and was shuttered in 1997.
Mizrahi returned to fashion in 2002 with the launch of Isaac Mizrahi for Target, a diffusion line that became a major commercial success. The collection eventually expanded to include accessories, bedding, housewares, and pet products. Over five years, sales tripled to more than $300 million, establishing Mizrahi as a household name. The Target line was discontinued in 2008 when Mizrahi departed to design for Liz Claiborne. At the time, Liz Claiborne—a brand founded in 1976—was struggling. After Mizrahi's contract with Target expired, Liz Claiborne outbid the retailer for his services, hoping he could reinvigorate the brand. However, the partnership lasted only one year.
The 2009 collection, rebranded as Liz Claiborne New York, was sold in national department stores such as Macy's, Belk, and Dillard's, as in previous years. The Liz Claiborne logo was also redesigned. Mizrahi's Spring/Summer 2009 collection debuted in January, followed by his Fall 2009 collection in April, and a Holiday line later that year. Advertising campaigns for the spring and fall collections featured Mizrahi alongside women of various sizes, races, and ages, and appeared in major fashion magazines.
Despite these efforts, the line sold poorly. The weak performance was attributed primarily to the economic downturn and strategic missteps made before Mizrahi's arrival. His bold use of color and playful aesthetic may also have clashed with Liz Claiborne's more conservative customer base. In late 2009, the Liz Claiborne brand was licensed to J.C. Penney—which had carried the Liz&Co. diffusion line since 2007—and was later acquired by the retailer. Mizrahi does not design the J.C. Penney version of the brand. His Liz Claiborne New York collection was moved to QVC, where it remained until his contract ended in December 2016.
In 2010, Mizrahi launched a label called IsaacMizrahiLIVE! exclusively on QVC.