More than three decades after its initial release, Unzipped—the acclaimed documentary chronicling the chaotic lead-up to and triumphant aftermath of Isaac Mizrahi’s fall 1994 ready-to-wear collection—retains its magnetic appeal. In the lexicon of style, it is a timeless classic. Yet, the film endures not merely because of the exquisite garments or the glittering constellation of 1990s supermodels that populate its frames, but because it captures something far more profound: a raw, unfiltered chronicle of love, artistic vulnerability, and the sheer bravery required to create.
To mark the newly restored film’s theatrical re-release via Janus Films, director Douglas Keeve, subject Isaac Mizrahi, and producer Nina Santisi have reunited to reflect on a project that forever changed the landscape of fashion cinema.
“Good news is good news and bad news is good news when you make a documentary,” reflects Keeve, who directed the feature after starting his career as a fashion photographer. “It’s just about discovery, you know. You have to be a journalist, but you have to be innocent too. And try not to steer it, just try to capture it.”
The Spark of Creation
The narrative catalyst for Unzipped was deceptively simple: a harsh fashion review received by Mizrahi for his spring 1994 ready-to-wear collection. That critical stumble propelled the extroverted designer into an intense, intuitive creative process for his fall lineup, turning a potential career setback into high-stakes drama.
At the time of filming, Mizrahi was an independent designer operating as a David against the Goliath of the fashion industry, caught in the relentless, Sisyphean cycle of seasonal collections. The goal was always the fashion show—described by Mizrahi as "the most wonderful 20 minutes of a designer’s life"—before heading right back to the drawing board.
The seeds of the documentary were actually planted in 1991, when Mizrahi won his second CFDA Womenswear Designer of the Year Award. Dissatisfied with generic event packages, producer Nina Santisi, Mizrahi, and Keeve collaborated on a witty, satirical video for the ceremony. Featuring a fake voiceover by legendary journalist Elsa Klensch and Mizrahi’s humorous commentary, the short film became an instant hit, even prompting Bergdorf Goodman to run it in their display windows.
“After that, I remember saying to Isaac, ‘Let’s make a documentary,’” Santisi recalls. “He gave me a high five.”
A Fine Romance and Creative Chaos
When filming began, Mizrahi and Keeve were romantically involved, a dynamic that proved both a blessing and a complication. While the relationship granted Keeve unprecedented, intimate access—capturing Mizrahi in the bathtub, in bed watching Nanook of the North, and deep in the throes of creative sketching—the intense pressures of production ultimately took a toll on their partnership.
“It was kind of essential that Isaac and Douglas were in that relationship because Douglas was able to capture these moments that were very intimate and key to the film,” Santisi notes. However, as Keeve spent grueling seven-day weeks locked in an apartment editing against a tight deadline, the relationship began to unravel. Mizrahi did not see the completed film until the very end.
Reflecting on that period, Keeve acknowledges the shared intensity. “We were all very human and very into our art. Unzipped did not cost us our relationship, but it was part of our lives. I just loved Isaac on every level. You know, he’s a rare bird. There aren’t a lot of people like him.”
Revelations Behind the Seams
Unlike many fashion documentaries that present a sanitized, highly curated version of events, Unzipped leaned heavily into the unvarnished reality of the studio. Mizrahi welcomed the circus-like atmosphere of his atelier, where high fashion rubbed shoulders with everyday chaos—from fittings with supermodels like Amber Valletta, Linda Evangelista, and Naomi Campbell to visits from cultural figures like Julia Roberts, Candace Bushnell, and Manolo Blahnik.
“It felt the opposite of vulnerable—it felt empowering until it became this structure,” Mizrahi explains. “But ultimately I didn’t [feel vulnerable], because I knew there was an editing process. But then after it was edited there were so many things that were revealing about myself, and I thought, ‘You have to keep these in because otherwise then it’s, like, sickening. You’re making this thing about yourself and you want it to glorify you? Absolutely not.’”
Keeve faced his own challenges behind the camera, working deliberately to remove himself from the narrative frame. Operating as a Californian outsider within the insular New York fashion world, his camera acted as a stand-in for the metaphorical zipper of the title, piercing the veil of an exclusive industry.
The documentary’s dramatic tension was heightened by unscripted hurdles, such as the devastating moment Women’s Wear Daily published Jean Paul Gaultier’s "Eskimo Chic" look just before Mizrahi’s own presentation. Santisi recalls the agonizing task of bringing the issue to Mizrahi, capturing an authentic, explosive reaction that added raw dramatic weight to the film.
The Verdict and the Legacy of the 1990s
Looking back, both men recognize that Unzipped captured a pivotal transitional era in fashion. The 1990s marked the dawn of the supermodel era—a time when personalities like Linda Evangelista, Christy Turlington, and Kate Moss began asserting individual agency over their work, transforming runway shows into cultural phenomena. It was an era before corporate dominance, focus groups, and the democratization of the front row through paid celebrity appearances.
“It was a simpler time in so many ways,” Santisi observes. “We were filming at the time when the supermodels were becoming celebrities. It captured Isaac’s creative process so well, and it was glamorous, and it was New York and fashion in the ’90s.”
For Mizrahi, the film’s enduring legacy lies in its unflinching portrayal of artistic conviction. “A lot of artists tell me that they are very inspired by the movie because it shows me kind of going, ‘No, I’m going to do it this way. I know I could lose everything, but this is my idea, and if I don’t stick to this idea, I’ll kill myself.’ And I stick with it and it’s a success.”
Following a restoration by Sundance and subsequent acquisition by the Criterion Collection, the newly restored Unzipped returns to theaters, offering a fresh generation of viewers a glimpse into a bygone era of creative madness, brilliance, and authenticity.
The film will screen at the Film Forum in New York City from September 25 through October 1, reminding audiences why, 31 years later, the magic of Isaac Mizrahi’s world remains entirely unmatched.
