On the last day of a jam-packed New York fashion week, it's easy to agree with Isaac Mizrahi that runway shows aren't as much of a good time as they used to be. Dun-dun-dun-dah—Isaac to the rescue! "It's a respite from all that bullshit," he said on the phone a few days ago. "I'm just having fun. And I want you to have fun when you come to my show."
It should be noted that this isn't mere indulgence. As Mizrahi explained, "Honestly, what sells best is what I have the most fun doing." And so why shouldn't he put all of his favorite things on the catwalk—namely cake and poodles, with a dash of Dorothy Draper and Wayne Thiebaud?
Despite all that sugar and fluff—not to mention runway appearances from dyed-to-match poodles and servers with iced-to-match tiered cakes—this was Mizrahi in pretty controlled form. He let his terrific palette of grays and buttercream pastels do most of the talking. And when it came to silhouette, he restricted himself to the sole flourish of an oversized bow, either worked into a bodice, draped over the shoulders, or on the skirt of a gown. Though it's true that Mizrahi seems to design in a vacuum at times, there was something rather fresh about a girl in a sheared dusty lavender fur paired with Pepto pink cigarette pants and an icy lavender ribbed sweater. One way to look at it: Mizrahi happily does what he does, and as fashion's wheel of fortune spins, it's now landed on this frolicking, anti-minimalist look. The designer certainly seems to be having a moment (see Jil Sander Spring 2011), and we're happy to be along for the ride.
