Isaac Mizrahi Research Paper

The zeitgeist of Mizrahi's time was and currently is all about innovation, and looking into the future for inspiration. Mizrahi really reflects the future because he never looks back, he continues to look forward. His designs are is constantly evolving with the times. He always seems to create fresh designs for the women who are in fashion rather than ahead of fashion. Americans tend to come back to our all-American trends at one point or another, and Isaac Mizrahi shows those in his designs as well. Overall, he undoubtedly encapsulates this time period and his design aesthetics are what people want to be seen in (New York Magazine).

In the beginning of his career, past designer Halston's had been known for cutting rich fabrics into easy

shapes. Mizrahi's satin pajama pants for day and slip dress with the how-low-can-you-go sling back were just the early signs of Halston's influence on his designs. Another former designer Geoffrey Beene conjured up the idea for jumpsuits, which helped Mizrahi win his first Council of Fashion Designers of America award as best new talent in 1988. While the elder designer preferred them in black, the younger used more color (one man brand). Issac created tube dresses in 1991 with flounces covering them. These dresses were obliviously inspired by Norell, whom was a designer who his mother introduced Mizrahi to as a child. Another artist whom inspired and continues to inspire Mizrahi is McCardell, his audacious applications of cotton piqué is extensive throughout Mizrahi's continuous love of the exact material. Mizrahi's color fields are inspired by Perry Ellis, but the particular color sensibility was Mizrahi's own. Perry Ellis showed Mizrahi how to put a jaunty twist on an all-American style, and perk up old tartan plaid. Mizrahi's tartan kilt midi dress is known as a sort of thank-you note for those valuable lessons.

Mizrahi's immaculate, ingenious modernism was as clearly aware of sources as it was pushed toward the clarification of form. Despite the obvious inspirations, Mizrahi has put his own thumbprint on his work (Rourke). Mizrahi claims that his looks are "Tailored classics with colorful and unexpected element" "Mizrahi had referred to his style as a "classic New York look," which presumably meant a casual American idiom, but inflected with big-city reserve and refinement. Mizrahi captured something of Manhattan chic and glamor of the 1940s and 1950s. His fashion was indescribably beautiful in subtlety and sophistication." "There seems to be a lot of emphasis on the idea of "craft" in fashion and in design these days. How do you define "craft"? Craft, to me, is an expression of personality. I mean, anyone and everyone can knit a sweater. Give the same yarn and instructions to seven different people, and you'll get seven different sweaters. The individual result is craft" (one man brand)