Isaac Mizrahi Talks Food, Culture; Says “I Don’t Really Feel Unzipped Changed my Life”

The Run-Through with Vogue

In this episode of The Run-Through with Vogue, co-host Nicole Phelps sits down with iconic designer and performer Isaac Mizrahi to discuss h

Key takeaways

• Isaac Mizrahi reflects on Unzipped as a product of its time—a cultural moment that captured fashion's vibrant energy, though he notes it might have been just as impactful with any other charismatic figures.

Main topics

• The cultural impact of the documentary Unzipped
• Isaac Mizrahi's career evolution and new role at Target

Notable quotes

"I bet if you had substituted some other fabulous, funny people in that movie, it would've been good. Mm. You know? It was just a good moment."

Conclusion

Isaac Mizrahi's conversation with Nicole Phelps offers a heartfelt and ca

Transcript preview

Speaker 1 (0:05) This is The Run-Through. I'm Chloe Mell. And I'm Choma Nardi. And today on the podcast, we are sharing a conversation between Nicole Phelps and designer, performer, and all-around artiste, Isaac Mizrahi. But first of all, Choma, welcome back. How has your re-entry been, your back to school post-vacation? I feel... I'm not like a little discombobulated. I'm not going to lie. It also doesn't help that the sun has gone a vacation from the UK after being around for so long. So it feels like we're so fully back to school. Bye. Speaker 1 (0:44) I'm excited. There's lots going on in London. The Chipotle will open their first store and there's lots of debuts and people are excited kind of in the run up to, I think it's going to be a really fun London fashion week. We've got Christopher Gaines back with Mulberry and Sean McGurk showing in London for McQueen. So we've got lots to look forward to. But yeah, I feel a bit like, whoop, like my head's not quite fully popped onto my body. How was your vacation? Oh, your Greece pictures were gorgeous. Divine. I get it now. I get the Greek islands thing. You're going Greek? I was fully like, for years I was like, oh God, if anyone posts any more shit from Greece, I'm going to be like... But it is heaven. And I think having seen the Odyssey, I went to Paros and Crete, which is the birthplace of Zeus. And... Speaker 1 (1:36) It was just so beautiful. The food, the people, the vibes. There's this beach or cove, lagoon called the Elephanisi Cove and it's got pink sand and it was just so beautiful. And we stayed at a couple of new hotels, one called The Reverie, which has this gorgeous view onto the sunset and this other one called Laura, which was very cool. What was the best thing you ate? The best thing I ate was in a little taverna. just totally unassuming, the hotel that we were staying at recommended them and they were right up the street and we were like, oh, we got really fancy and dressed up for it and we get there and it's like really low key and both of us were like, what are we doing? But it was the most delicious. No doubt. Oh my God. But the food was so good. It was like these homemade lamb and beef meatballs and then they came with this amazing... Speaker 1 (2:32) steak and showed us it before they cooked it and you could see them cooking the food and it was just so good. Even just simple things like the roasted peppers in olive oil were just perfect and the tomatoes, everything just tasted fresh. Anyway, I'm still there in my mind. I love that for you, Gemma. I'm still there in my mind. And I went to Switzerland, which was really fab too. So I've had quite the tour. Well, I've been shuttling back and forth New York City to northwestern Connecticut, where my husband and my children and my dog have been spending the month of August going to forest camp. Is that where you're headed for Labor Day? Speaker 1 (3:10) Isn't it a long weekend? That's coming up, right? It's a long weekend. It's coming up this weekend. I am heading there tomorrow after work. We have a pear tree on our property that is very temperamental and some years has zero pears. But this year has been this prolific pear crop. And so I feel like my entire August has been about pear management. We've been juicing pears. What variety of pear? Are we talking conference pears or the blush pink ones? Oh, wow. I'm really impressed. impressed with your pear knowledge. I don't know. There are yellow pears that are juicy. I mean, I guess I need to increase my pear. Because you know, there's like, what they call William or conference. Anyway, it doesn't matter. I mean, it's just because my parents love pears. Wow, Choma's pear fluency is a new level. I know. I have a very pear-loving family. Speaker 1 (4:01) Well, I'm going to do research on this now. You've inspired me. But I also, we've been dehydrating pears. So I might save some of those. Oh, please do. Bring those to Paris for you. Bring those. French customs is going to love that. Don't put it in your carry-on, okay? Les poires secs. Speaker 1 (4:21) Anyway, but yes, this weekend I'm heading up there and there is a big fair, a country fair in Goshen, Connecticut that my kids love to go to. So we will be doing that. And there is a very scary, like upside down spinning wheel thing that you do that Artie loves that I find terrifying. So we'll probably be doing that ride. Oh. Oh, and I want to see Coyote vs. Acme. Because I think that we'll really like that movie. But, Choma, before we get into the rest of the week's news, I know you and I have already discussed this a little offline, but it was announced on Monday morning that the Met costume exhibition featuring John Galliano and his work is no longer proceeding as planned. John decided to pull out of the exhibition. Speaker 1 (5:13) And I think everyone has at this point read John's, I thought, very thoughtful and well-written statement that after much reflection and discussion with the Met, I have decided with great sadness it's best for the exhibition not to take place at this time. He says, I understand that meaningful atonement is not achieved through an exhibition, institutional recognition, or a single public gesture. It is a continuing responsibility demonstrated through listening, learning, and one's conduct over time. I thought that was very elegantly put. And we'll see. What else, Choma? The news of the week is the Mets and the U.S. Open. Open season. Speaker 1 (5:57) Naomi Osaka's Allen Iverson tribute took me out. It was so great. I think... Who Decides War? Oh, was it Who Decides War? Yeah, it makes sense. Yeah, it was great. I mean, she stops me in my tracks every time. I love her commitment. I love her passion. I mean, she really makes it theater. Virginia and I were saying yesterday that it's so refreshing and exciting to see someone using fashion in this fresh, curious... unexpected way where she really looks at designers who are not household names and supports them, uplifts them. Robert One, who decides war and so much, as you know, so many celebrities who are wearing clothes on the red carpet or in this case on the tennis court. Speaker 1 (6:42) it has become so transactional. It's about celebrity deals, endorsements, etc. And with her, she's not getting paid a cent by who decides war. This is about what she wants to wear and making a statement that she's excited about. And I think that's very cool. Super cool. Super cool. And I just, I love that there's this like historical throwback to other underrated greats. It was interesting because my boyfriend and I were having a conversation about what made Allen Iverson kind of a style trailblazer. And I didn't really know. I'm not such a big basketball fan. I was obviously aware of Allen Iverson. He was big when I first came to New York. And I hadn't really examined his fashion statements and his choice of hairstyles and the silhouette that he wore and how he basically changed the game as far as style with basketball. And he was a... Speaker 1 (7:31) rule breaker and I like that she's aligning herself with those people because that's exactly what she's doing and also paying tribute to people like him who I think he he's just fab doesn't get the same shine now we talk about we talk about basketball and fashion in the same breath but back then we weren't totally so it's cool that she she's she spotlighted him in particular No, it's been fun to see. Have you been to some games? I'm going. We're recording this on Wednesday afternoon, and I'm going in a few hours. Sam Sussman and I are going, courtesy of Ralph Lauren, and we are very excited because we get to see Carlos Alcaraz and Irina Sabalenka, who Corey and Nicole spoke to for the podcast last week. And so I'm very excited. Wow, that's quite a double bill. I know. Choma, were you tracking? Speaker 1 (8:19) Olivia Rodrigo's Daisy Chain Fields Festival? Yeah, a lot of people would have been, it's been kind of like the end of summer festival season here and there was Reading Festival. But there was a lot of noise about Olivia Rodrigo's appearance because she seemed to really take it to the next level. I'm so, I was completely blown away by what she pulled off. She raised so much money for charity. brought such an amazing group of women together. I think she's such a powerhouse. I was really impressed. I know. Anyone who can get Stevie Nicks and Chapel Roan and Dolce in the same space. Totally. Pretty amazing. Yeah, we had a fun style report from Biz Sherbert, who was talking about the prevalence of the baby doll dress, which has become an Olivia signature. That was fans and Olivia alike. And then... Speaker 1 (9:12) We also covered Chapel Roan has a new Bob look that she debuted at the festival. So a lot happening. And we just announced our fall book club pick, which is Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen, one of my favorite Jane Austen books. Choma, is this an Austen that you are familiar with, a fan of? It's been a while since I read it. I was probably in high school. I probably need to brush up and reread it. I did love watching the movie with Daisy Edgar Jones, so it reminded me of kind of like the Austin wit. And I'm excited that it's the new book club classic. That'll be a fun one. I love Sense and Sensibility because it was actually the first novel that Jane Austen published, and it was published anonymously as By a Lady in 1811. And then Pride and Prejudice came after that, Mansfield Park and Emma. So I was very... Speaker 1 (10:07) I think it's interesting to see early Austen codes already present in this book. And it's also, you know, I have an older half-sister, but I really grew up as an only child. And to me, it's such a vivid portrait of sisterhood and the way that sisters... feed off each other and support each other, but really can be so different and represent such different personality traits. So I do, it is a favorite of mine. I'm very excited for this new adaptation, which you highlighted with your gorgeous Daisy August cover. Daisy was very, she was really lovely to work with on. Speaker 1 (10:48) on the shoe, on the cover, on everything, the dinner that we did with her. And she requested that we make miniatures of the set design. We worked with Sylvester Mako, the photographer, who's having quite a moment at the moment. And so we had miniatures made of the sets and they just came in today. So Daisy picked a couple and she was like, do you want one? And I was like, absolutely. So I have a little one sitting in my office right now. I'll send it to you. I was going to post it on my stories. So maybe I'll just add you. Chloe and be very modern. At me. Just at you. At me, Choma. Oh my gosh. Choma, are you heading to the Venice Film Festival, which also starts today? Yeah, I'm heading to the Venice Film Festival tomorrow morning at 5.30 in the morning. Wonderful. Speaker 1 (11:36) Yeah, I think some of our colleagues are going to be there. I know Francesca Ragazzi from Vogue Italia is going to be there. So it's going to be super fun. I think even Sam Sussman might be there. So it's going to be a really fun time. I'm only going for a couple of nights. I'm coming back in time for the Jay-Z concert on Saturday night, which I'm really looking forward to. Exciting. Jay-Z's London takeover. He's been striding around Trafalgar Square. So we're really excited that he's here. Speaker 1 (12:01) I feel like Venice has already kicked off with Amal Clooney and George Clooney. I don't know about your traffic, but our traffic is through the roof. As soon as Amal... People love Amal on a gondola. I know. She knows exactly how to do Venice. If there's like a playbook of how to do it, it's like Amal. Amal has written the Venice blueprint. Hell yeah. She always seems to be having the best time in Venice. Of anybody. Don't you think? It's true. It's true. She's just like, okay, it's my moment. We're back in Venice. Here we go. It's true. It's her Studio 54. It is. And there's like this restaurant in Venice that they always go to that's like super cute and low key. And I get the feeling that the Clooneys really like it as a city and love going there. They got married there. Famously. Of course. Yeah. Speaker 1 (12:50) Choma, do you have any big Venice outfits planned? I loved what you wore last year. I know. I fear that this time has been a bit grab and go. I came back and realized that I was going to Venice. I actually have a vintage, I think it might be 1930s, kind of flappery dress that was from Kim Jones's archive that I bought in the sale that he did that I haven't worn yet. I think I'm going to wear it over pants. It's either going to work or it's not going to work. I love wearing something new on the carpet, but I also hate it when I'm... It's like a job interview. You want to feel comfortable, so you don't ever wear something new, right? That's the plan. I've got one look. If it don't work... Well, I can't wait to see it. Speaker 1 (13:30) Thanks. Thanks, girl. Speaking of looks, on to Nicole and her conversation with Isaac Mizrahi. In just a few weeks, Janice Films is re-releasing the beloved 1995 documentary Unzipped by Isaac's then-boyfriend Douglas Keeve. I think everyone can agree that it is one of the best fashion documentaries of all time. I saw it as a teenager and remember so little about it except that I loved Isaac. And then I saw it because my mom and I did this amazing shoot with Isaac for Vogue where it was his first Target collection. And it was a mix of his real ready-to-wear collection and his Target collection. And my mom and I were photographed together wearing the different Isaac pieces. And Andre styled it. My gosh. Can you repost that? Have you reposted that? No, it's a I'm I'm I'm sheepish. Oh, my goodness, Chloe. But it's really fun. At least do it in your stories and at me. Speaker 1 (14:36) Sorry. It was an Arthur Elgort shoot. Oh, I can't wait to see it. I want Choma's reaction. My mother's holding a fishing net. Oh, wait, you just sent it to me. Oh, my God. Fabulous. Oh, my God. Chloe, you look like a young, like a baby Brooke Shields. Like, you look so beautiful. Oh, thank you, Choma. I love it. The pink satin. I mean, you have the best smile ever. And I love this one. So good. And your mom.