The Zack Carr papers include clippings, photographs and lookbook production materials, a Zack Carr Collection scrapbook, "idea books" (albums comprised of original drawings and inspirational clippings), fashion sketches, and student work. Carr created and assembled much of the material found in this collection in the final years of his life. He was extraordinarily productive during these later years, despite experiencing progressive paralysis.

The "idea books" consist of Filofax books and unruled Hermes notebooks containing glued or taped in fashion sketches. Some books feature original fashion sketches, while others consist of photocopied reproductions of fashion sketch cut-outs (Carr referred to these as his "dolls") handcolored and/or annotated by Carr. Two Filofax books consist of reproductions and clippings of artwork and photographs, particularly early twentieth century images, alongside Carr's contemporary fashion sketches. While some handwriting will be encountered in the idea books, the bulk of their contents is unannotated. The books range in size from 3 x 5 inches to 6/1/2 x 8-1/2 inches.

In addition to the idea books, the Zack Carr papers include a number of original fashion sketches dating largely from 1999 and 2000, executed in a variety of media, with annotations regarding materials and fabrics, styles, geographic locations and fashion designers who served as inspiration, and musings about the women for whom he was designing. Some sketches also feature musings on his declining health. Sheets of labels that were never affixed to particular collections and a memorandum from one of his assistants, Nancy Glazer, reveal the extent of his travel-inspired concepts and work methodology. As evidenced by the collection names in some of the labeled idea books, Carr was emotionally invested in designing collections inspired by international locations he knew he would never be able to visit again. According to the memorandum, Carr stated, "[The sketches] are what I consider a true expression of myself...my being...what interests me, what excites me, what is me...and IS my true being."

Records of Carr's educational experiences at Parsons School of Design include his diploma and transcript, numerous fashion sketches, photographs of Carr's contributions to his senior show in 1973, with explanatory notes provided by former Fashion Design Department chairman Frank Rizzo, and a pattern drafting notebook. Copies of Carr's student work from the University of Texas are also present.

The Zack Carr Collection, the label Carr initiated after leaving Calvin Klein in 1984, is represented by lookbook production materials for Fall/Winter 1986, including negatives and prints of a runway show, and textual elements; a scrapbook containing clippings and original drawings; and original fashion sketches.

The Zack Carr papers do not document Carr's work for Donald Brooks or B. Altman & Company, and there is little documentation of his activities for the Calvin Klein label. Additionally, the papers do not include personal materials documenting Carr's life outside the realm of fashion design, with the exception of the annotated fashion sketches created in the last few years of his life.