Cinematically Cinched...at the Waist

Unzipped (1995)
Directed by Douglas Keeve

Oh the mid-90s. Colors were bold, supermodels were bolder, the economy was booming, and one of AnA's patron saints, Isaac Mizrahi, was on top of the world. Following his electric neon, critically-acclaimed 1994 Fall line, Miz released Unzipped, which chronicled the line's creation and execution. And girl shined in it.

The queen takes a bow.

This was for many the first glimpse at Mizrahi's dynamic, divisive personality (I mean, really, Johanssen get over it) as well as a look at the day's top Supers at their whiny best--after watching this, it's impossible not to want to slap Linda Evangelista.

Everyone who was anyone in fashion at the time is in this movie, which alone makes it essential viewing for any self-proclaimed fashionista. But more importantly, the doc details the rigors and pressures involved in putting on a high fashion runway show: meeting with editors, coddling temperamental models and having to scrap your Eskimo fantasies after realizing Gaultier has already been there and done that.

Fashion is a dog eat (then purge, natch) dog world and Isaac was one of its casualties in 1998 when he had to close his line after his backers backed the fuck out. But like all divas, she rebounded and pioneered the current high-low trend that has the financially strapped but sartorially-forward jumping in their Matthew Williamson for H&M peacock mini.

But for now, let's electric slide back to 94 and revel in the madness: