Isaac Mizrahi on Acceptance, Broadway Legends & Not Caring What People Think

Fashion legend Isaac Mizrahi has spent decades making the world brighter- literally. As a colorful designer, performer, host, author, and cultural icon, the creative has always favored playfulness. But before the runways, Broadway stages, and standing ovations, he was a kid who often felt like an outsider. This week on The Art of Kindness, Isaac joins Robert Peterpaul for a funny, moving, and surprisingly vulnerable conversation about bullying, belonging, creativity, therapy, Broadway legends, and the people whose kindness changed his life. Plus: Broadway, fashion, Patti LuPone, New York City, compliments, eyebrows, and why nobody is paying nearly as much attention to your appearance as you think they are. This positive podcast covers: Why kindness starts with noticing people who feel unseen The teacher who changed Isaac's life forever Lessons from Broadway legends like Gwen Verdon and Liza Minnelli Why therapy matters and what he's learned from it Broadway backstage culture and kindness The truth about fashion rules, self-expression, and authenticity, plus more ISAAC MIZRAHI has spent more than 35 years at the intersection of entertainment, media, and fashion, earning acclaim as a performer, host, writer, designer, producer, and cultural commentator. Performing with his acclaimed jazz band, Isaac brings his signature blend of music, storytelling, and comedy to concert stages across the country. His annual multi-week residency at New York City's legendary Café Carlyle consistently sells out, and in 2022 he made his Broadway debut as Amos Hart in Chicago. The New York Times hailed him as “a founding father of a genre that fuses performance art, music and stand-up comedy.” In 2025, the cult-classic documentary Unzipped—which Mizrahi co-created and stars in—celebrated its 30th anniversary with a screening at the Sundance Film Festival. He hosted the Emmy Award-winning The Isaac Mizrahi Show for seven seasons, served as a judge on all seven seasons of Project Runway All Stars, and continues to appear across television, film, and digital media. Beyond the stage and screen, Mizrahi has directed productions for the Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, designed costumes for the Metropolitan Opera, and annually directs and narrates Peter and the Wolf, a production he originally created for New York City's Guggenheim Museum. A celebrated force in fashion, Mizrahi currently serves as Creative Director at Large for Target. Through his company, IM Entertainment, he develops original projects for television, theater, publishing, and live entertainment. He is also the author of the New York Times bestselling memoir I.M. For more information, visit HelloIsaac.com. Got kindness tips or stories? Please email us: ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠ Follow Isaac: ⁠⁠@IMISAACMIZRAHI Follow us: ⁠⁠@artofkindnesspod⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠@robpeterpaul⁠⁠ Support the show! (⁠⁠https://www.buymeacoffee.com/theaok⁠⁠) Music: "Awake" by Ricky Alvarez & "Sunshine" by Lemon Music Studio. Additional music licensed through Soundstripe. Code: MZU7IMLYX3T5WFFI We are supported by the Broadway Podcast Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices