Unzipped [DVD] [1996] [Region 1] [US Import] [NTSC]

A season in the life of former fashion designer, Isaac Mizrahi, as documented by his (then) boyfriend/director/former-Sundance-Film-Fest-Darling, Douglas Keeve. Opening with Mizrahi reading a devastating review in *Womens Wear Daily* of his most recent collection, it is a heartbreaking moment that only artists really understand. But unflattering criticism is part of the ballgame, and Mizrahi rolls with the punches. There is no time to wallow - there's another collection to be designed, and we watch as Mizrahi looks for inspiration in a variety of sources, eventually becoming most inspired by the idea of basing his Fall collection on the 1935 film *Call of the Wild* and 1922s *Nanook of the North*. What seems such an unlikely course becomes magic as we watch the rough ideas of suede boots and fuzzy jackets transform themselves into a cohesive statement of winter luxury that is completely modern. We watch the details being refined, the fabrics being selected, and most amusingly, the fittings being done with the Holy Trinity of supermodels, Linda Evangelista, Naomi Campbell and Christy Turlington. We see Evangelista exactly as we expect to - the biggest diva of them all - whining of being discriminated against in shoe selection. This is the woman who once said, "[We] don't get out of bed for less than $10,000," but the power she brings to the runway appears to make her worth every penny. We feel the utter despair that Mizrahi feels as he reads that Jean-Paul Gaultier has just unveiled his own Eskimo-themed collection. We see Mizrahi try to persuade the models to undress behind a backlit scrim during the show, and some of them pointedly refusing. But the ones that do, become a stunning backdrop for a knock-out show. The documentary runs full-circle, ending with Mizrahi reading a fabulous review of his excellent collection. It is a film rife with stereotypes of fashionistas, but these stereotypes, like most, have sprung forth from a good bit of truth. And given what is perceived to be the shallowest of milieus, it is a very touching story combining the elements of creativity, criticism, hope and redemption. Mizrahi, whose eponymous fashion house closed a few years ago, entertains in front of the camera, as well as designs, and the constantly revolving cast of characters is a Who's Who of late-90s fashion magazines. It is Keeve's first project and was a critical success, presciently capturing Mizrahi at the peak of his career, and the fashion world in one of its most decadent eras. Though neither Mizrahi nor Keeve have attained such prominence since *Unzipped*, is even more special because of it. It was the right combination of the right qualities at the right time that garnered the film and its participants such attention, but, in retrospect, it is a moment that is bound to burst like a garishly elegant soap bubble.

This was amusing. One critic said, "All this tension over a fashion line of eskimo-fasihon-knock-offs." But that's kind of what makes it fun, that people are so intense about something so frivolous. Yeah, the term "fashion genius" is a contradiction in terms, but sometimes you have to have some cotton candy in your life. Isaac doesn't have that bitchy edge that so many cup-cake designers have, so is amusing and likable. Despite the publicity this movie brought him, his company folded. He said--before his company went under--that when someone praised this film to him, he'd rather they'd said, "I bought one of your jackets at full-price." Isaac then went after the movie business. He didn't fair well there, I guess, because last I read of him, he's doing a one-man stage show about his life. (As a heterosexual male, it was kind of unbelievable, too, to see Isaac hugging and pinning the most striking fashion model women alive--Christie Turlington for one--and remain sober-faced and unaffected. If I were hugging Turlington, I'd faint from joy!) A good suppliment to this is the book THE END OF FASHION that describes in one section the demise of Isaac's label. For one thing, he DID have big-selling items, and the retailers would beg him for more. But he played the artist-image a bit too much, and refused to repeat things, and only did new things that inspired him. Well, he inspired himself right into bankruptcy. But this film, documenting when the company was still going, is great fun to see.

Although "Unzipped" is the story of American designer Isaac Mizrahi at work producing his 1994 fall collection, it's not really about the fashion at all.

This documentary is really about how the creative process works - both inside the mind of the artist, as well as the frustrations of making the artistic spark concrete. Mizrahi is shown apparently candidly, drawing inspiration from old movies and TV. He's shown at work doing research at the Louvre, in conversation with Sandra Bernhardt and fashion editor Polly Mellon.

Significant portions of the piece are in black and white, but much is in color. The filmic contrasts reflect the competing pressures experienced by the artist: artistic integrity and business necessity.

For fashion-mad viewers, there are plenteous shots of the design studio, lots of models, and finally the show itself.

This is a short documentary that's long on insight and style. Although it's a serious look at creativity, it's also a whale of a good time, rare among the genre.