High Fashion or Fashion Disaster? A Mizrahi Dress Debate
Some of you said it was straight out of the iconic 70s horror film "Carrie".
Others pronounced it a sublime example of 90s couture!
What am I talking about?
Isaac Mizrahi's "Exploded Poppy" dress from 1992.
I am selling it on behalf of a collector in Los Angeles.
There is a lot to mention here.
Not only has it proven controversial in terms of reception among my clientele, its duplicate exemplar is currently on display at the Metropolitan Museum's Costume Institute's summer blockbuster: Sleeping Beauties.
The Institute's curator, Andrew Bolton, narrates an exquisite video where it makes an appearance.
It is heavily documented already in the museum's permanent collection.
And, the official, Mizrahi website even includes his hand-drawn illustration of the garment!
Furthermore, thanks to a Mizrahi obsessed friend (you know who you are, Heather) I became aware of a video where Mizrahi himself, in his own inimitable voice, discusses how this dress was inspired by the photographs of Irving Penn (you can see it on the runway at 1:18) !
My daughter modeled it
Lindsey modeled it (video here)
Various fashionistas have come close to buying it, while a bunch of women maligned it in my native Russian on FB when I ran a promotion for it!
They have no idea who "Carrie" is, but the phrase "lunar cycle accident" (I'm translating) came up multiple times!
Would you like to see it in person? Or perhaps even try it on? You have a chance this weekend as I am bringing it (and other fabulous designer pieces) to Chicago's newest high-end, indoor, vintage clothing market - Heir Apparent. [UPDATE: DRESS IS SOLD]
If you can't make it to the show --( it's going to be phenomenal and we hope will set the stage for a new standard of vintage clothing shows in the city)-- at least share your vote here on whether it's
Exploding Poppy or Period Explosion (womp womp).