Did you watch ‘Isaac’ last night?

 

-Isaac Mizrahi clothes and shoes are availabe at local Target stores.-

 

It was my cousin who first introduced me to Isaac, when I was staying at her house last spring. All day long, she gushed about him until I felt I knew him. Of course, after last decade’s film, Unzipped, most of the world felt like they knew him. But 10 years later, he’s older, wiser, even cuter, and certainly a little more patient and kind.

“He’s perfect,” my cousin told me. “He’s cute, he’s gay, he’s Jewish.” In short, everything a happily married Presbyterian straight girl could want. I was sold the minute we tuned into the Oxygen network and I caught a glimpse of him taking a tango lesson with comic superstar Molly Shannon on the all-white set of his television show. Since that first introduction, I count the minutes until 9:30 every night, hoping our toddler will go to bed without a fight, so I can immerse myself in the wonderful, fabulous world of Isaac Mizrahi.

In that world, I fantasize that I walk, lighter than air, into his all-white studio, wearing something black and flattering and, taking both of my hands in his, he steps back, assessing the vision before him, exclaiming, “Darling, you are STACKED!” as I glow with the thrill of his affirmation. With that, we embark on some crazy New York adventure, just as he does with all of the fabulous guests on his show.

I’ve watched him watch Rosie O’Donnell get a haircut, do pilates with Rachel Dratch (he told her she was stacked, too) and try to find homes for homeless pooches with more-than-fabulous girlfriends Deborah Harry and Bebe Neuwirth. When Lisa Loeb and boyfriend Dweezle Zappa paid him a visit, they sang songs as an Easy Bake oven undercooked dessert on the set.

In another hilarious episode last season, Isaac sat in the back of a limousine after necktie shopping with Conan O’Brien, who casually informed him that he had recently married Angela Lansburry. Isaac believed him. That naivete is Mizrahi’s most disarming feature. Because of this, he has the ability to bring out the best and to see the best in everyone.

And in the midst of so much fun, there is always Isaac, being fabulous and completely genuine, dressed in trim khakis, polo shirts the color of ice-cream with the collars turned up and a variety of shoes, from driving mocs to spa sandals, but always sans socks.

On what I assume are bad hair days, he wears colorful bandanas low on his forehead, pirate style, presumably hiding his otherwise coal black, wavy hair that is usually raked, slightly ramshackle, away from his forehead. Thanks to the Isaac Mizrahi link at the Oxygen Network Web site, I’ve downloaded recipes and can now cook his favorite meals.

And now, thanks to Target, I can even afford to wear his clothes. This fall promises to bring more Isaac treats as everyone’s favorite store adds his name to its growing list of high-end designers bringing affordable high fashion to fill the public demand. A quick jaunt through the women’s and shoe departments revealed promising fashions, from well-fitted white or pink woven shirts to affordable and oh-so Grace Kelly driving mocs and red-red Jane pointed toe flats with a 1-inch heel. There are also pants and a swell jacket — just the sort of basics that can complete a shaky wardrobe.

In a world where celebrities often use their fame to promote questionable lines of fashion bearing their names, it’s refreshing to see a designer whose creative abilities made him a celebrity. Between The Isaac Mizrahi Show and the goodies at Target, everyone has the chance to fall head over heels with Isaac this fall. The next chance to catch a new adventure on The Isaac Mizrahi Show is this Wednesday, Aug. 20 at 9:30 p.m. Central Time, when Matt Lauer and Isaac dish it up and smack some balls on the driving range. Any Miss Joni appearances are yet to be scheduled. Stay tuned.