Isabel Toledo
'A Love Letter'
Honoring beloved Cuban-born, American fashion designer Isabel Toledo, A Love Letter is a posthumous homage to the enduring resonance of her work, curated in close collaboration with her husband, artist and fashion illustrator Ruben Toledo. An innovative spirit, Isabel engineered shapes and patterns to cocoon the body, providing comfort, structure, and ease of movement. Her designs were guided by emotions, rather than concepts, which she translated into elegant, impeccably crafted garments — radical in their construction yet supremely wearable. For more than three decades, the Toledos intertwined their creative processes, acting as each other’s muse, advocate, confidant, and collaborator. The friction between Isabel’s impassioned functionalism and Ruben’s fantasy-prone humor was inspirational, pushing both to greater heights. A Love Letter features a selection of Isabel’s designs displaying her mastery of technique, fabric, shape, and color, complemented by new works by Ruben created exclusively for the exhibition and a short film highlighting Isabel’s practice and memorializing their unique relationship.
Honoring beloved Cuban-born, American fashion designer Isabel Toledo, A Love Letter is a posthumous homage to the enduring resonance of her work, curated in close collaboration with her husband, artist and fashion illustrator Ruben Toledo. An innovative spirit, Isabel engineered shapes and patterns to cocoon the body, providing comfort, structure, and ease of movement. Her designs were guided by emotions, rather than concepts, which she translated into elegant, impeccably crafted garments — radical in their construction yet supremely wearable. For more than three decades, the Toledos intertwined their creative processes, acting as each other’s muse, advocate, confidant, and collaborator. The friction between Isabel’s impassioned functionalism and Ruben’s fantasy-prone humor was inspirational, pushing both to greater heights. A Love Letter features a selection of Isabel’s designs displaying her mastery of technique, fabric, shape, and color, complemented by new works by Ruben created exclusively for the exhibition and a short film highlighting Isabel’s practice and memorializing their unique relationship.
About the artist
Isabel Toledo (née Izquierdo) was born in Cuba in 1960 and emigrated to the U.S. with her parents as a political refugee. Settling in West New York, Isabel met Ruben Toledo, also a Cuban refugee, in high school. Their artistic collaboration began immediately and continued as the relationship deepened. They married in 1984. The Toledos were embraced by the vibrant downtown New York art scene, befriending and collaborating with Andy Warhol, Klaus Nomi, Kim Hastreiter, and Antonio Lopez while drawing the international attention of Yves Saint Laurent, Christian Lacroix, Karl Lagerfeld, and Manolo Blahnik. Isabel, who had begun making all her own clothes as a teenager, appeared frequently on international “Best Dressed” lists.
Isabel’s approach to fashion was honed during her time at The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute, where she worked under famed fashion editor Diana Vreeland. There, she had hands-on access to works designed by icons Madeleine Vionnet, Coco Chanel, Cristóbal Balenciaga, and Christian Dior, among others. In 1985, Isabel presented her first runway show, which was lauded by the New York fashion press. Her designs were sold at Barney’s New York, Bergdorf Goodman, and Colette in Paris. Isabel was committed to making her designs available to women of all sizes and economic backgrounds, which inspired her to pursue numerous collaborations, including with Target, Payless Shoe Source, and Lane Bryant. In 2005, Isabel and Ruben were jointly awarded a National Design Award by the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum. A year later Isabel was named creative director of Anne Klein, where she presented two well-received collections before returning to her own work as an independent designer. In 2009, SCAD presented Isabel and Ruben Toledo with the André Leon Talley Award, which honors exceptional accomplishments in art and design.
Isabel’s garments and Ruben’s artworks have been featured in numerous museum exhibitions at venues including The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Victoria & Albert Museum, and the Smithsonian. In 2019 Isabel passed away after a brief illness. Ruben continues to archive her work and preserve her legacy.
Programs and events
Artist talk: Poeticize 'A Love Letter' with Ruben Toledo
Join renowned illustrator Ruben Toledo as he elucidates the essence of his iconic drawings and the exquisite fashion designs of his late wife, Isabel, on view in Isabel Toledo: A Love Letter.
NEW TIME Reception: SCAD Museum of Art fall exhibitions opening
This event has been moved to an earlier start time of 10am.
Credits
A Love Letter is curated by Rafael Gomes, creative director of SCAD FASH museums.
