I.M.

With the rash of current “memoirs” being nothing more that disparate journal entries, my expectations were low for this book, as much as I love Isaac Mizrahi. I was delighted to discover that this book is witty and well written, and I should have expected as much from Mizrahi, who is always entertaining and engaging. Mizrahi is a designer who comes from a sewing and tailoring background. He grew up in a sheltered Syrian Orthodox Jewish family and spent his early life sequestered within the small community. When he discovered himself and the greater world, he was unstoppable in his quest to attain renaissance status in many different fields. Although he has a legion of famous friends, this book is not about name-dropping. Mizrahi is a storyteller and shares his deepest fears including his first trip to Paris and his later successful venture into mass merchandising. For every young person who fears going out into the world, Mizrahi’s memoir provides an inspiring story.