It is rare that a designer launches their eponymous label at Bergdorf Goodman and is available at hundreds of Target locations nationwide before they have a signature, flagship boutique. But that is precisely the trajectory that Isaac Mizrahi has followed. And after 25 years, his bold, American designs will now have their very own store to call home: Isaac Mizrahi’s first stand-alone boutique in New York, at 23 East 67th St.
Citing the typical male “commitment issues,” as to why he had yet to open his own store, Mizrahi stresses that retail has never been his strong suit. But in an economic downturn that caused many retail businesses to close their doors, Mizrahi did just the opposite.
The man has always done things a bit differently from his contemporaries: he was on the forefront of the high-fashion/mass-market partnerships (his success at Target prompted the collaboration to last five years, and extended from apparel to home furnishings), and his talk show was one of the first ones to highlight the craft of fashion designers.
Perhaps it was his truly excellent Spring 2010 collection that prompted the need for a home to call it’s own.
