Design for a Living World

Isaac Mizrahi's custom-made, handsewn recycled salmon leather skin paillettes on silk dress (images courtesy of the Cooper Hewitt)

detail of Alaskan and Canadian salmon (discards leather) paillettes

Isaac Mizrahi fitting model in his sustainable couture for Design for a Living World

Isaac Mizrahi is one of several designers featured in Design for a Living World, which opens at the Cooper Hewitt National Design Museum on Thursday, May 14. "Ten leading designers have been commissioned to develop new uses for sustainably grown and harvested materials in order to tell a unique story about the life-cycle of materials and the power of conservation and design. The featured designers and places include Yves Behar/Costa Rica; Stephen Burks/Australia; Hella Jongerius/Mexico; Maya Lin/Maine; Christien Meindertsma/Idaho; Isaac Mizrahi/Alaska; Abbott Miller/Bolivia; Ted Muehling/Micronesia; Kate Spade/Bolivia; and Ezri Tarazi/China."

*Design for a Living World is on view from May 14, 2009 – January 4, 2010

*see also I.D.'s Into The Wild article