Few fashion designers have had as diverse a career as Isaac Mizrahi, whose work has been seen everywhere from Fashion Week runways to Broadway stages and the aisles of Target. Now, New York City museumgoers can see Mizrahi’s multi-faceted work on display at the The Jewish Museum, thanks to the new exhibit Isaac Mizrahi: An Unruly History.

photo: Jason Frank Rothenberg

The exhibition celebrates Mizrahi’s career from his first collection in 1988 through to the present day. The varied strands of Mizrahi’s career are brought together, celebrating not only his work as a fashion designer, but also as a director, actor, set and costume designer, writer, and cabaret performer. 

The Jewish Museum’s exhibition is organized thematically by trends in Mizrahi’s work, including the use of color, and designs with a more political focus. On display are 42 different looks that draw from Mizrahi’s New York clothing label, “semi-couture” collections, Target clothing line, and costume designs for opera, theater, and the Mark Morris Dance Group. Additionally, the exhibition features Mizrahi’s original drawings, behind-the-scenes photographs, and performance stills, along with a bespoke multi-screen video installation. The video installation features Mizrahi’s runway shows along with footage from Unzipped, the award-winning documentary focused on the launch of Mizrahi’s 1994 fall collection; Mizrahi’s appearances as a judge on Project Runway: All Stars; the television program The Isaac Mizrahi Show; scenes from Mizrahi’s cabaret show LES MIZrahi; and the current QVC show IsaacMizrahiLive!

photo: The Jewish Museum

In conjunction with the exhibition, The Jewish Museum will host a series of events focused on Mizrahi’s life and career. Families can head to the exhibition on May 15 for a special Family Day, featuring performances and special art projects for children to design fashion pieces of their own. Gallery talks will also take place throughout the exhibition’s run, including lectures on the use of high and low materials in Mizrahi’s work on April 8 and June 3 and a discussion of the “Supermodel era” in the early nineties (April 15, June 17, July 26). On May 19, a panel discussion will take place with New York-based designers, who will consider the influence of contemporary art in their work. And for those who’d like to hear from Mizrahi himself, the designer will be on-hand at the museum to discuss his work with New York Magazine design editor Wendy Goodman on April 7, and with iconic choreographer and frequent collaborator Mark Morris on May 24. 

Isaac Mizrahi: An Unruly History is on view at the Jewish Museum through August 7, 2016. For more information, visit jewishmuseum.org.