Unzipped restored cut screens at Sundance Film Festival
- The landmark 1994 fashion documentary Unzipped returned to the screen in 2025 at the Sundance Film Festival, playing at the Egyptian Theatre as part of the festival's From...
- Unzipped offers an all-access runway pass that features an insider look at design studios and runway preparation.
- Speaking post-screening at the Egyptian Theatre, director Douglas Keeve recalled the unique atmosphere of the decade.
The landmark 1994 fashion documentary Unzipped returned to the screen in 2025 at the Sundance Film Festival, playing at the Egyptian Theatre as part of the festival’s From the Collection section. Directed by fashion-photographer-turned-filmmaker Douglas Keeve, the newly restored cut captures designer Isaac Mizrahi as he races against the clock to launch his visionary collection at New York Fashion Week.
A 1994 Fashion Milestone Restored for Modern Audiences
Unzipped offers an all-access runway pass that features an insider look at design studios and runway preparation. The film highlights Mizrahi’s unstoppable drive from initial sketches to the celebratory chaos of the runway. Editor Paula Heredia utilized a rapid-fire style that darts between behind-the-scenes drama and fleeting moments of 1990s glamour. Cinematographer Ellen Kuras utilized a mix of dramatic black-and-white footage and bursts of color. The documentary also showcases a parade of supermodels including Cindy Crawford, Naomi Campbell, Linda Evangelista, and Kate Moss. The Academy Film Archive restored the film with support from the Getty Foundation, preserving its place in fashion folklore for new audiences.
Director Douglas Keeve Reflects on the Magic of the 1990s
Speaking post-screening at the Egyptian Theatre, director Douglas Keeve recalled the unique atmosphere of the decade.
The ’90s [were] just special and amazing, and especially in the film with Naomi, Cindy, Linda, Amber, Carla — I don’t think that’s happened again. It was just such a beautiful and magical time and putting this film together with all that stuff happening around — things were radical.
Douglas Keeve
To capture authentic reactions, Keeve explained that he relied on specific techniques to draw out unvarnished performances from his subjects. When an audience member asked how he knew when to turn off the camera during moments of frustration or fatigue, Keeve noted that exhaustion often yields the most compelling footage.
That is what you hope and pray for; they are really tired. That’s when it gets interesting. You don’t want people at their tip-top. You want to see them when times are hard.
Douglas Keeve
Keeve added that subjects often initially dislike their portrayal in documentary projects until they experience the work alongside an audience.
This is why when you make a film, you can’t give consent over content to the person in the film because they hate it until they watch it with an audience, and then the audience loves it, and then they love it.
Douglas Keeve
Legacy of the Original Behind-the-Scenes Blueprint
Introducing the film at the festival, Sundance Institute senior programmer and director of strategic initiatives John Nein described the project as a foundational work in its genre.
It’s a fashion doc before fashion docs were fashionable.
John Nein
Reflecting on his role as a pioneer in the subgenre, Keeve expressed enthusiasm for how the film continues to resonate with viewers three decades after its initial debut.
It feels awesome. In a way, I was dead serious about what I was doing, but I was also having fun. All these films that get made about fashion, they’re not that much fun, and I wanted people to see how crazy it was, how much fun it was, who these people are.
Douglas Keeve