Isabel Toledo
Encyclopedia
Isabel Toledo is a Cuban-American fashion designer based in New York
.
where she attended high school and met her future husband and collaborator, Ruben Toledo. She attended the Fashion Institute of Technology
(NY) and Parsons School of Design (NY) where she studied painting
, ceramics, and fashion design. An avid seamstress from a young age, Toledo's work reflects not only a distinct design sense but a keen understanding of garment construction and appreciation for the geometric intricacies of pattern shapes.
In 1984, Toledo married artist Ruben Toledo.
in 2006 after more than twenty years of working solely under her own name. Toledo made her debut with Anne Klein
at New York Fashion Week
in February 2007.
Toledo and Anne Klein parted ways later in 2007.
Toledo was also the recipient of an Otis Critics' award named for her at the Los Angeles-based Otis College of Art and Design
.
On September 3, 2008 Isabel Toledo was presented with the third annual Couture Council Award for Artistry of Fashion from the Museum at FIT in New York's Rainbow Room atop Rockefeller Center.
Michelle Obama
selected to wear at the inauguration of her husband, President
Barack Obama
. Michelle Obama first wore a Toledo design on Wednesday, June 18, 2008 for an appearance at a New York City fashion world fund-raiser.
at Otis College of Art and Design
2002), 1999
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
.
Personal life
Isabel Toledo was born in Cuba and moved to New JerseyNew Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
where she attended high school and met her future husband and collaborator, Ruben Toledo. She attended the Fashion Institute of Technology
Fashion Institute of Technology
The Fashion Institute of Technology, generally known as FIT, is a State University of New York college of art, business, design, and technology connected to the fashion industry, with an urban campus located on West 27th Street between Seventh and Eighth Avenues in the Chelsea neighborhood of...
(NY) and Parsons School of Design (NY) where she studied painting
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
, ceramics, and fashion design. An avid seamstress from a young age, Toledo's work reflects not only a distinct design sense but a keen understanding of garment construction and appreciation for the geometric intricacies of pattern shapes.
In 1984, Toledo married artist Ruben Toledo.
Career
In 1985, Toledo presented her first collection. In 1998, she stopped presenting biannual collections, instead choosing to create on her own schedule. Toledo was named creative director of Anne KleinAnne Klein
Anne Klein was an American fashion designer who founded her own women's sportswear and apparel label.-Biography:Anne Klein was born as Hannah Golofski in a Jewish family in Brooklyn, New York on August 3, 1923...
in 2006 after more than twenty years of working solely under her own name. Toledo made her debut with Anne Klein
Anne Klein
Anne Klein was an American fashion designer who founded her own women's sportswear and apparel label.-Biography:Anne Klein was born as Hannah Golofski in a Jewish family in Brooklyn, New York on August 3, 1923...
at New York Fashion Week
New York Fashion Week
The semi-annual New York Fashion Week, branded Mercedes-Benz FashionWeek in 2009, is held in February and September of each year in New York City. It is one of four major fashion weeks held around the world .-History:The first New York Fashion Week, then called Press Week, was the world's first...
in February 2007.
Toledo and Anne Klein parted ways later in 2007.
Awards
Along with her husband, Ruben Toledo, Isabel was the recipient of the Cooper-Hewitt Design Award for their work in fashion in 2005.Toledo was also the recipient of an Otis Critics' award named for her at the Los Angeles-based Otis College of Art and Design
Otis College of Art and Design
Otis College of Art and Design is an art and design college in Los Angeles, California.The school's programs, accredited by WASC and National Association of Schools of Art and Design, include four-year BFA degrees in illustration, fine arts, graphic design, architecture, landscape design, interior...
.
On September 3, 2008 Isabel Toledo was presented with the third annual Couture Council Award for Artistry of Fashion from the Museum at FIT in New York's Rainbow Room atop Rockefeller Center.
Famous Clients
Toledo designed a lemongrass yellow wool lace shift dress with matching overcoat which First LadyFirst Lady of the United States
First Lady of the United States is the title of the hostess of the White House. Because this position is traditionally filled by the wife of the president of the United States, the title is most often applied to the wife of a sitting president. The current first lady is Michelle Obama.-Current:The...
Michelle Obama
Michelle Obama
Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama is the wife of the 44th and incumbent President of the United States, Barack Obama, and is the first African-American First Lady of the United States...
selected to wear at the inauguration of her husband, President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
. Michelle Obama first wore a Toledo design on Wednesday, June 18, 2008 for an appearance at a New York City fashion world fund-raiser.
Exhibitions
June 16 through September 26, 2009. Traveled to other museums including the Ben Maltz GalleryBen Maltz Gallery
The Ben Maltz Gallery at Otis College of Art and Design in Los Angeles is a professional art space that presents group and solo exhibitions in a variety of media. The Gallery’s main focus is showcasing contemporary art that pushes the boundaries of form and subject matter in the context of national...
at Otis College of Art and Design
Otis College of Art and Design
Otis College of Art and Design is an art and design college in Los Angeles, California.The school's programs, accredited by WASC and National Association of Schools of Art and Design, include four-year BFA degrees in illustration, fine arts, graphic design, architecture, landscape design, interior...
2002), 1999
- Interpretation: 20th Century Clothing and Illustration, Ohio State University/Ohio Arts Council, 2000
- Isabel and Ruben Toledo: A Marriage of Art and Fashion, Kent State University Museum, 2000 http://dept.kent.edu/museum/exhibit/toledo/Toledo1.htm
- Spirals & Ellipses: Clothing the Body Three-Dimensionally, Kent State University Museum, 2005 http://dept.kent.edu/museum/exhibit/spirals/main.htm