I believe, wrongly or rightly, that Isaac is very appreciative of his QVC buyers. He should be. I lived in NYC when Isaac was "coming up." He made it big very fast. He was on the headlines of all of the papers, not just the mags that are/were devoted to fashion. "Nice Boy from Brooklyn Makes it Big in Couture!" But, fashion is fickle. And the publications who build people up seem to enjoy tearing them down even more.
Isaac's brand stopped being the darling of the moment. Shortly thereafter, I read his business had serious financial difficulties. I can't remember the details, this was over 20 years ago, but I think I read that someone on the business side of the company made some major mistakes. The same headlines that built Isaac up then ripped him to shreds. Over and over again. I remember reading one headline that stated it was the end of Isaac's design career. What didn't I read? I didn't read a single, nasty or negative quote attributed to Isaac Mizrahi.
Imagine living through all of that? And in your own home town, so there's no place to escape to! I admire Isaac's longevity in the very cut-throat and competitive fashion industry, where nice guys (and gals) often finish last. I admire the way he has been able to bounce back from that very dark time. I never read about him escaping into drugs or alcohol, like so many in that industry seem to do.
I admire his talent. And I think he does seem like a genuinely nice guy. He wasn't a blue blood from Manhattan like Gloria Vanderbilt (not that she's not a nice person. I wouldn't know. She's a lot more private)
Like Louis Dell Olio, another designer I admire, and me, he is a nice, middle class guy from an outer borough who loved (loves?) his mother, admired her style, and, like me, spent a lot of time noticing and being inspired by fashions from old movies, and the way that women dressed in Manhattan back in the 1960s. I loved seeing ladies walking in midtown wearing pumps and Chanel-inspired matching suits. And hats! Oh, how I miss hats, on both men and women.
Even when I've spent my monthly clothing budget, I enjoy listening to Isaac Mizrahi and Louis Dell Olio, especially when they talk about their early influences. I can relate since I grew up in the same area at about the same time.
Of course, they are both very, very different men with very different careers, albeit in the same industry. I like them both and wear items from both lines. They seem to truly have passion for what they do. I think it's a wonderful thing to be able to do what you love for a living, and for so long. In that alone, both men can be an inspiration to others.
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