Isaac Mizrahi + Alexandra Horowitz

Dogs are our best friends and companions, relying on us as much as we rely on them. But how do they experience the world? Or time? Dog cognition researcher Alexandra Horowitz dives into the science behind these questions and more, with the help of fashion mogul Isaac Mizrahi and his dogs Dean and Kitty.

Support for this program is made possible by Eileen Caulfield Schwab. Brainwave is supported in part by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council.

About the Speakers

Isaac Mizrahi has been a leader in the fashion industry for thirty years, not merely for his work as a designer but also for his crossover presence into pop culture. He co-produced the documentary Unzipped, formed a groundbreaking partnership with Target, and hosted his own television talk show. He has written two books, made countless appearances in movies and television, and currently serves as a judge on Project Runway: All-Stars. He is at work on a memoir.

In addition to designing for the luxury and mass markets, Mizrahi has directed and designed costumes and sets for opera, ballet, Broadway, and Off-Broadway. He has performed cabaret at Café Carlyle, Joe’s Pub, West Bank Café, and City Winery.

He has two dogs, Dean and Kitty.

Alexandra Horowitz is a professor and dog cognition researcher at Barnard College. She has written about topics as varied as attention, imitation, fairness, guilt, captivity, patents, play, and footnotes; from animal representation in children’s books to things people say to their dogs; from anthropomorphisms of animals to dogs in movies. She has been described as “a New World reverse of the Oulipo eminence Georges Perec,” a “skilled investigative reporter,” and a “reasonably sane adult human.” As “an unabashed fan of Canis lupus familiaris” she “has spent a lot of time studying our best friends.”