The world of fashion may be where Isaac Mizrahi hails from, but he’s managed to become a pop culture icon by crossing over into the worlds of flim (Unzipped; Men In Black), television (Project Runway: All Stars; Ugly Betty) and even comics (Isaac Mizrahi Presents the Adventures of Sandee the Supermodel). But on Nov. 19, Mizrahi will be appearing alongside Lord & Taylor’s VP/Director of Fashion Stephanie Solomon to debut his exclusive IMNYC Lord & Taylor collection. And while this kind of fashion in-store event is something that the Brooklyn native has done countless times, it’s not only quite enjoyable for him, but a crucial element of the creative process.
(Photo by Cindy Ord/Getty Images for Lord & Taylor)
“It’s going to be really fun because I’m going to be working with Stephanie Solomon, who is someone that I’ve known for a million years. I literally know her for about 25 years. I love her and we just have fun,” he said with a laugh. “I like meeting the end-user a lot. It’s my favorite part. I like the idea of communicating. It’s one thing if you have a shop and you do your best to make it look incredible on the floor. But suddenly, you’re in the room with the people listening to their comments and that effects things so much. Because it completely informs my brand. It shapes what I do and without it, I would be nowhere.”
As for IMNYC, it’s a line Mizrahi is rightfully proud of given that quality is the gold standard he’s applying to these clothes and accessories designed for a demographic that skews to 30 or 35 year olds, but will certainly have the kind of panache that can appeal to women on either side of this spectrum. Some of the current fashion trends that have caught Mizrahi’s eye can also be found in this collection, be it plaid coats, longer skirts, head-to-toe velvet or chunk-heel boots all embraced by a simple approach and cut.
“There were a lot of things that we could have done [with this line]. We could have done a dressy line or an evening line,” he explained. “But really, the clothes and accessories that we’ve created are for that woman who is urbane, works and has exposure to all these kinds of micro-trends. Busy clothes look very cheap to me. I think the quality of this collection is remarkably great and I think that’s something I would love to represent as one of the hallmarks of this line. The one major thing that sets us apart from other fast fashion brands is the thought that we try to trend as closely as possible and make clothes that fit right in. We do classic versions of these things that are trendy.”
Isaac Mizrahi will be appearing at Lord & Taylor in Garden City on Saturday, Nov. 19. Lord & Taylor is located at 1200 Franklin Ave. For more information, visit www.lordandtaylor.com or call 516-742-7000.
