Isaac Mizrahi presented his first collection at a trunk show at Bergdorf Goodman's in 1987. By 1992 Chanel had bought a stake in the company and Isaac's name was everywhere. He was doing custom work for clients and Hollywood on top of his mainline. In 1995 Isaac was the subject of the movie 'Unzipped' based on his Fall 1994 collection. He is known as much for his personality as he was for his clothing. The Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) recognized him with the Perry Ellis Award (now called the Swarovski Emerging Talent Award) in 1988 and the women's wear designer of the year award in 1989. He loved to experiment and would often change his aesthetics from season to season. This is an amazing example of the custom piece that he was doing and comes directly from the client that worked with him and purchased it from him. 

My client had this dress custom made for herself and worked one on one with Issac on its design. It is a gorgeous dress and it really feels like its time period with its nod to Old Hollywood combined with a twist of modernity through the quirky placement of the bow at the back. It is made to demi-couture standards. The dress is very long and the lines have been kept simple. The bodice is molded and sculpted into a plunging V at the front and again at the back. The fabric on the bodice extends into the straps that curve up and over each shoulder. The simplicity of how it is made is what gives it is sculpted feel. The wonderful curving shape from there has all been created through long vertical seams. This means that there is no horizontal line at the waist to break the beautiful curves the dress creates. Even off of the body and on the hanger this one has curves. That is how well made and scalloped it is. The fabric that Isaac chose for the dress is a heavier silk matte satin that holds the shape he meant it to have but without being too heavy on the body. The light purple colour is beautiful. The photos have come close to capturing the colour but in person is a touch lighter and brighter and even better. It skims over the bust and waist and over the hips. Then at about the knee the lower skirt starts to begin to flare out in an angled and sculpted line. The lower skirting is set into the body of the dress on an angled seam and this clever seam placement helps to elongate the line of the dress to make you look supermodel tall. At the back of the skirt where it meets the rest of the dress there is an oversized bow that is also set on an angle that follows the seam there. I love how it makes a tremendous impact from the back as you walk away. Even from the front view you see that bow peaking out slightly on either side making you wonder what is there. The skirt is cut slightly longer at the back to create that beautiful shape that you see. All of the shaping has been creating by seaming and fabric placement and it really shows just how great Isaac could cut a dress. It is even better in person and once on an actual body it really comes to life as the skirt moves around you. Excellent condition

Fully lined in a matching purple silk and closes with a hidden set back zipper. The slightest bit of scuffing to the very back hem. Please see the last photo after the label shot. 

Bust: 17" flat across from side seam to side seam with an approx A-B cup
Waist: 15" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 59.5" from top of shoulder to front hem, 62" to the back

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD3595

This garment has been professionally cleaned, pressed and is odor free. Thoroughly checked over before shipping, it will be ready to wear upon arrival.

Isaac Mizrahi presented his first collection through a trunk show at Bergdorf Goodman's in 1987. By 1992 Chanel had bought a stake in the company and Isaac's name was everywhere. He was doing custom work for clients and Hollywood on top of his mainline. In 1995 Isaac was the subject of the movie 'Unzipped' based on his Fall 1994 collection. He is known as much for his personality as he was for his clothing. The Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) recognized him with the Perry Ellis Award (now called the Swarovski Emerging Talent Award) in 1988 and the women's wear designer of the year award in 1989. He loved to experiment and would often change his aesthetics from season to season which was his ultimate downfall. After the fall 1998 show Chanel pulled its stake and the company folded. He did have a couple of subsequent come back attempts, but for collectors these early years are the most important pieces to find.

My client had this dress custom created for herself and worked one on one with Issac on it. It is a dress that really showcases his depth as a designer and it is stunningly beautiful. It is made to demi-couture standards and it looks to have never been worn. The bodice is amazing. It is strapless and is densely covered with large, glossy black beading mixed with large prong set glass crystal rhinestones. These are so heavily applied that you cannot see even a smidge of fabric between them. The size of the beads, combined with the ultra tight spacing of them give it a 3 dimensional effect. The beadwork wraps completely around you to the back. The top of the bodice curves in the most flattering of ways and to is molded to follow the curve of the breast. The dress falls from directly under the bust so that there is no line at the waist to break the beautiful curve of the skirt. The body of the dress is made from a fine black lace and he has set that over a inner nude silk lining. From a distance this gives the effect that you are covered in just a layer of lace. The skirt sweeps down from under that heavily beaded bust, skims past the waist and then starts to flare out from there. It is cut so that by the time it has reached the middle of your legs it flares out tremendously for the lower skirt. This combination of the flared out lower skirt and the black lace give it a touch of a Spanish feel I think. Extra tulle attached to the inner lining help to keep that gorgeous shape that you see. It is even better in person and once on an actual body it really comes to life as the skirts float and swish around you at the slightest movement. It appears to have never been worn or worn very little. Excellent condition

Fully lined in a two layers of a golden nude silk. The innermost layer of the skirt has additional tulle around the hem to help hold the shape. The bodice has a built in inner corset that closes with its own set of lingerie hook and eye. The exterior layer closes over that with a back zipper. Some marks to the inside hems but otherwise it appears to have never been worn or worn very little. 

Bust: 17" flat across from side seam to side seam with an approx A-B cup
Inner waist: 13.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Length: 56" from top of bodice to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD3564

This garment has been professionally cleaned, pressed and is odor free. Thoroughly checked over before shipping, it will be ready to wear upon arrival.

Isaac Mizrahi presented his first collection through a trunk show at Bergdorf Goodman's in 1987. By 1992 Chanel had bought a stake in the company and Isaac's name was everywhere. He was doing custom work for clients and Hollywood on top of his mainline. In 1995 Isaac was the subject of the movie 'Unzipped' based on his Fall 1994 collection. He is known as much for his personality as he was for his clothing. The Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) recognized him with the Perry Ellis Award (now called the Swarovski Emerging Talent Award) in 1988 and the women's wear designer of the year award in 1989. He loved to experiment and would often change his aesthetics from season to season which was his ultimate downfall. After the fall 1998 show Chanel pulled its stake and the company folded. He did have a couple of subsequent come backs, but for collectors these early years are the most important pieces to find.

My client recalls having this made for her in 1998 which dates it to his final year. It is a one-off and was a custom created piece just for her. One of the keystones of Mizrahi's work was that he used surprising fabrics in unexpected ways and that is displayed in this set. The top is made out of a double layer of stretch jersey that is the same nude jersey that you would normally see in lingerie. That doesn't feel all that avant garde for our modern world, but in 1998, to use lingerie fabric for outerwear would have been startling. The top is easy to wear and has the simple lines that he preferred. It is sleeveless with a slight ruffled effect around each arm. It zips up the back with a large exposed silver zipper and the edges are left raw cut. Over this is a floor length silk taffeta skirt. It has a lovely long line with pockets on each hip. At the waist it is detailed with a nude silk netting that is set around the waist in a three dimensional pin-tuck triangle design.  The one-off, rare set is gorgeous on an actual body and in person the textures of the fabrics really play off of each other. It appears to have never been worn or worn very little. Excellent condition

The top is a double layer of the nude jersey and the skirt is lined in a black silk organza. The top closes with the back exposed zipper that you see and the skirt closes with w zipper and hook & eye at the waist band. The top is tagged a S and the skirt a 4. Both pieces appear to have never been worn or worn very little. The top does have some stretch. The nude is a slightly different shade then how it photoed. Think the color of standard lingerie stretch nude fabric

Top
Bust: 14-17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 14-15" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 17-19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 22"

Skirt
Waist: 13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Length: 48" from waist to hem with 2" turned under the hem. The ruffle extends an additional 1" up from the top seam at the waist

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD3546

This garment has been professionally cleaned, pressed and is odor free. Thoroughly checked over before shipping, it will be ready to wear upon arrival.