Fashion icon and entrepreneur Isaac Mizrahi has dressed some of the world’s most famous and influential people. Now, you can get up close and personal with his work at The Jewish Museum in New York City. The exhibit, called “An Unruly History,” includes 250 pieces spanning three decades and shows off Mizrahi’s most celebrated ready-to-wear designs, as well as his costumes for the theatre and ballet.

At first, Mizrahi says, sifting through his work to choose pieces for the exhibit was “boring.” But in the end, it was a mixture of "terrible, fun, stressful," the 54-year-old designer told Yahoo Finance adding, "there was a beauty to it."

That walk down memory lane has proven helpful for Mizrahi’s memoir, which he’s currently writing. It’s due to be released in 2017.

A survivor in an often-ruthless industry, Mizrahi bounced back from bankruptcy in 1998 to become one of the first A-list designers to partner with a big-box retailer. In the early 2000s, he began a seven-year partnership with Target that introduced Mizrahi to the masses and proved to be incredibly successful.

“The word 'masstige' did not exist before we did that collaboration,” he says, referring to the marketing term that means "prestige for the masses." He added, “We cultivated fashion for the consumer.”

While he still designs couture for his VIP clientele, Mizrahi also spends a good amount of time in front of the camera at QVC, where he’s pitchman for his popular namesake collection. Isaac Mizrahi Live! sold more than 3 million units on the TV home shopping outlet last year, and his collection has grown to include jewelry, footwear, handbags, perfume, home goods and even iPhone cases.

In 2011, Mizrahi sold his business to Xcel Brands for $31.5 million. He remains creative director and is also a shareholder. Xcel’s CEO, Robert D’Loren, has said that Mizrahi’s legacy is that he “democratized style,” not only with is Target and QVC relationships, but also as a current judge on TV’s “Project Runway All Stars.”

“The idea of great collaboration, only comes with a kind of risk,” Mizrahi says. "I took that risk with Target, I took that risk with QVC. I think when you feel right about it, I don’t see how there’s a downside.”

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