# Isaac Mizrahi Wants to Take You Back to 1994 > The designer reflects on Unzipped, the fashion documentary that made him famous, as a restored version finally streams. - Title: Isaac Mizrahi Wants to Take You Back to 1994 · Vanity Fair - Summary: The designer reflects on Unzipped, the fashion documentary that made him famous, as a restored version finally streams. Mizrahi remains a warm, talkative… - Keywords: isaac mizrahi, unzipped, fashion documentary, 1994 fall collection, criterion channel, supermodel era, naomi campbell, cindy crawford, kate moss, douglas keeve, fashion criticism, qvc - Source: Vanity Fair — https://vanityfair.com/story/isaac-mizrahi-unzipped - Author: Marisa Meltzer - Published: 2026-09-25T12:00:00+00:00 - Read time: 3 min - Topics: isaac mizrahi, unzipped, fashion documentary, 1994 fall collection, criterion channel, supermodel era, naomi campbell, cindy crawford, kate moss, douglas keeve, fashion criticism, qvc ## Unzipped finally streams again The 1995 fashion documentary about Isaac Mizrahi's fall 1994 collection is getting a restored release in theaters September 25 and on Criterion Channel in December, after years of being unavailable. ## Why Unzipped became a classic The intimate film captures Mizrahi's creative process with supermodel cameos from Naomi Campbell, Cindy Crawford, Carla Bruni, and Kate Moss, shot in vérité style during the height of the supermodel era. ## Mizrahi on taking criticism He says he rarely found criticism valuable, though it mattered to buyers. Fashion critics back then were knee-jerk reactions to countless shows happening simultaneously. > I don't take it well. I rarely think it's terrifically valuable. ## Sampling as homage, not copying Mizrahi was criticized for sampling designs from Geoffrey Beene and Galanos, designers he worshipped. He now misses the critical dialogue that existed then. ## Unzipped changed his life, then closed it The documentary put him on the map but also made things difficult. Three years later, he closed his namesake collection, exhausted from being in the center of things. > It put me on the map in a certain way, but it also made it very difficult for me in other ways. ## The fittings were naturally hilarious Mizrahi says the documentary idea emerged from the fact that his fittings were photogenic and funny, unlike the serious atmosphere at Calvin Klein's studio. ## Still in the same Manhattan apartment Mizrahi lives in the same downtown New York apartment where he worked during the documentary, but it's now three times bigger after he expanded into neighboring units. ## Watching the creative director shuffle Mizrahi observes the constant turnover in fashion leadership but notes that Jonathan Anderson's statement about needing five years to find his footing was wise. Not everyone gets that time. ## No regrets about being a gerbil Mizrahi describes himself as running frantically like a gerbil on a wheel early in his career. He doesn't regret it, though he acknowledges he would live differently with hindsight. ## Modern fashion confuses him Mizrahi finds contemporary runway shows amazing but doesn't understand who they're for. He misses the era when people had to buy clothes rather than being given them. ## Celebrities just showed up In the nineties, famous people like Prince, Richard Gere, and De Niro would appear at Mizrahi's shows unannounced. Prince arrived without telling anyone, and they had to find him a front row seat. > Prince wouldn't just show up, you know. But that's what used to happen. ## The dark side of the supermodel era Mizrahi acknowledges the sexism, racism, and exploitation that models faced in the nineties, alongside the AIDS crisis and homophobia. It was a nightmare then, just as much as now. ## Linda Evangelista's Air France gambit Evangelista was paid in clothes early on and eventually made deals where Mizrahi gave her garments instead of cash. She once asked to have clothes sent to the Air France Concorde lounge. > Oh, just send them to the Air France Concorde lounge, and they'll find me. ## Acting and cabaret now Mizrahi appeared in Marty Supreme and is actively seeking more roles. He recently did a table read for a series where he plays a caterer, hoping it gets made. ## QVC brought fashion to regular people Mizrahi had significant reach through QVC, selling collections to a broad audience beyond the fashion elite. ## New York over Paris Mizrahi prefers showing in New York rather than Paris, though he admires shows by Pierpaolo Piccioli at Balenciaga and Marc Jacobs at Louis Vuitton. ## Couture with tank tops at Bergdorf's Mizrahi created a small couture collection at Bergdorf Goodman featuring fifteen thousand dollar coats paired with two dollar tank tops from Target. ## Target creative director role Mizrahi recently announced a position as creative director at Target, focusing on creating an American design point of view with humor and fabulous design. ## Dressing Gen Z icons Mizrahi would love to dress Tom Holland, Charli XCX, and Billie Eilish. Gen Z loves the nineties and supermodels, so they know his era even if they don't know him. ## Unzipped won't languish anymore Mizrahi is excited that the documentary will finally reach audiences again instead of disappearing into obscurity. > I'm just excited that the documentary isn't gonna languish and just die. ## Key takeaway Mizrahi remains a warm, talkative presence in fashion and pop culture, but he's learned that early success came with exhaustion and that the industry has changed in ways he doesn't fully understand.