I.M.: A MEMOIR BY ISAAC MIZRAHI
Reviewed by Rebecca Wade PHOTOGRAPHY BY MIKE FENDER
Rebecca Wade is a native of Bay County. She graduated from the Art Institute of Ft. Lauderdale in fashion marketing. After having her daughter Samantha, her focus in life changed and she is now the program director at Girls Inc. Rebecca loves to travel and when there isn’t time for it, a trip to the beach with a good book will do.
I.M.: A Memoir (2019), by Isaac Mizrahi, took me back to my 20s when fashion was my life. Like many young women, I was fascinated by style and fashion. So, when Mizrahi’s memoir was released, I had to read it.
Gaining popularity in the ’80s and ’90s and as the successful creator of the international fashion brand bearing his name, Mizrahi can be currently seen on the TV show “Project Runway.” In his memoir, Mizrahi goes back to his childhood, reflecting on where he comes from and how he ended up in the fashion industry. His father, who was in the clothing industry, gave Mizrahi a sewing machine when he was just 10 years old. In looking back, there could not have been a better gift for him.
His candor in discussing his early life as an Orthodox Jew in a Syrian community of New York and the struggles of being gay and not fitting into the religious roles expected of a son is heart-rending. He talks of being bullied as the fat kid in his school and finding comfort and escape in creating and performing. His talent for creative design began to reveal itself as a young boy when he crafted puppets. The puppets offered an avenue to entertain, and he did so at family functions and for neighbors in his garage where he had built an elaborate stage.
What began as a hobby led to his interest in making costumes for the performing arts in his high school where a teacher recognized Mizrahi’s potential. The teacher encouraged him to take night classes at the Parsons School of Design. With that simple suggestion, the teacher changed his life!
It was interesting to read Mizrahi’s witty descriptions of encounters with celebrities he met and worked with over the years. He lives the glamorous life I had imagined, but he also poignantly shares lonely and sad times. I’d say the fat kid from Brooklyn did pretty well for himself. His writing is inspirational. I work with girls every day and I hope to be “that teacher” that sees a girl’s potential and helps her attain her dreams.