Isaac Mizrahi & Jeffrey Banks, photo by Jade Albert
On Wednesday evening, the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA), the organization that promotes American fashion and nurtures the industry’s designers, hosted a conversation between author Jeffrey Banks and the multi-talented fashion designer, television personality, and performer Isaac Mizrahi. The event was a celebration of the publication of Jeffrey’s memoir, “Storyteller: Tales From A Fashion Insider.”
Storyteller, Tales from a Fashion Insider, photo courtesy Pointed Leaf Press
Published by Pointed Leaf Press, the tome weaves the incredible tapestry of Jeffrey Banks’s life: a fashion designer who rose from Ralph Lauren intern to award-winning menswear creator and an acclaimed champion of diversity and classic American style. The memoir delves into his experiences, the people he’s met, and the lessons he’s learned throughout his prolific career.
Isaac Mizrahi, Jeffrey Banks, Steven Kolb, photo by Marilyn Kirschner
The event was held at God’s Love We Deliver’s downtown headquarters. Among those in attendance were CFDA CEO Steven Kolb, CFDA Executive Director Lisa Smilor, Marc Karmizadeh, Patricia Underwood, Teri Agins, Audrey Smaltz, Tom and Linda Platt, John Bartlett, Gail Marquis, Carolina Amato, Nick Graham, Gary Walker, and photographer Jade Albert, who recorded the scene in the 60s, 70s, and 80s.
Isaac Mizrahi tote bag, photo by Marilyn Kirschner
Lisa Silhalnek arrived carrying her Isaac Mizrahi tote, a wonderful collaboration between Target and Isaac Mizrahi that began in 2003. These bags were given out at the fashion show held at Cipriani 42nd Street. I loved mine and carried it until it was worn and yellowed.
Left: Lisa Silhanek; Center: Isaac Mizrahi, photo by Marilyn Kirschner
I always talk about fashion’s “6 degrees of separation,” but given the fact that so many fashion veterans were in attendance, I should refer to this event as 60 degrees of separation. Isaac Mizrahi, wearing a signature bandana and gold-buttoned black cardigan sweater, was his usual animated, entertaining self as he guided the conversation.
He began by discussing the book’s intriguing title. Jeffrey laughed and said that when you’re little and you are called a storyteller, it means you are a fibber, a liar in training, but as you grow older and wiser, you realize that telling stories is a way of preserving history, which is so important.
Publicist Dan Scheffey, Paul Aferiat, photo by Marilyn Kirschner
Banks admits that he was asked many times over the years to write a memoir and said no because he thought it was too narcissistic. Still, after thinking about all the interesting, fascinating people he has come to know, he has come to see that as the connective tissue.
“What are the two motivations behind writing this book? I don’t like to be bored, and if you don’t preserve history, it gets lost.” – Jeffrey Banks.
One reason Jeffrey wanted to write the book now is to ensure that his beloved mother could read it. Eleanore M. Marion Banks, the source of ongoing inspiration for Jeffrey, along with several other highly influential women mentioned in the book, will turn 105.
In the book, Jeffrey talks about the 10 people he most wanted to meet, and by the time he was 15, he had met 7 of them: Audrey Hepburn, Fred Astaire, Monsieur Givenchy, Barbara Streisand, Richard Avedon, Norman Norell, and Ralph Lauren, whose name keeps coming up.
Denise Linden and Jeffrey Banks at the 2013 FIT Norell exhibition, which he co-curated, photo by Marilyn Kirschner
Jeffrey was a teenager when he met Ralph Lauren, and Ralph always treated him like an equal and as a third son. In fact, Jeffrey babysat for Ralph’s two sons. Banks marvels that when Ralph received a one-of-a-kind CFDA Award in 2018, he made the acceptance more about Jeffrey than himself.
At some point in the conversation, Isaac began fielding questions and comments from the audience. I asked Jeffrey which fashion period he likes the most. He cited the 20’s and 30’s because they meant freedom for women and elegance for men. People had a sense of what was appropriate back then, unlike today.
Isaac Mizrahi & author Teri Agins, photo by Marilyn Kirschner
Teri Agins recalled the brown-and-white T-shirt story and wanted to share: On Jeffrey’s first day of work at Calvin Klein, he brought him a present: Brown-and-White T-shirts that his friend in Soho silk-screened with his logo on the bicep of the sleeve. Even though Calvin said he would never wear it himself, Banks had T-shirts from the collection silk-screened with his logo for the salesgirls setting up the fashion show.
While earning degrees in Fashion Design at Pratt Institute and Parsons School of Design in New York City, Jeffrey Banks served as a Design Assistant to both Ralph Lauren and Calvin Klein. When speaking about one of his most memorable moments, Jeffrey remembers that at his first show, he invited both designers, the only time they ever sat next to each other.
It was a stupid thing to do, Banks recalls, because all the photographers just wanted to take pictures of the duo in the audience, not his clothes. But they supported Jeffrey by coming, and to this day, he enjoys a great relationship with both design icons.
Marilyn Kirschner & Isaac Mizrahi, photo by Jade Albert
As noted, Ralph Lauren holds a special place in Jeffrey’s heart. He remembers that in May 2018, Ralph Lauren received a special tribute, a first of its kind, given to the designer on behalf of the CFDA’s membership of over 500 foremost womenswear designers. While the evening was all about him, he made it a point to single out Jeffrey and call him the “best designer assistant”.
When asked about designers now, Jeffrey mentioned Todd Snyder, Thom Browne, and Joseph Altuzarra. “You remember the ones who have a particular vision and stick with that vision”. That’s why we love Donna Karan. And I know Ralph would hate me to say this, but Ralph Lauren is like McDonald’s.
You know exactly what you will find when you see those Golden Arches. And when you walk into a Ralph Lauren store, you will see cashmere, corduroy, tweed, etc. You need enough newness to get you to buy more, but you also want to believe in the designers’ lasting legacy.
This is why Ralph Lauren has remained “The King” for all these years.
