Blossom Sleeve Bolero and Balloon Dress, Spring/summer 2005 by Isabel ToledoPhoto by Irving Solero
Half Moon Blossom into a Cornflower, Fall/Winter 1998 by Isabel ToledoPhoto by Irving Solero
The Fashion Institute of Technology is currently featuring a retrospective of the work of fashion designer Isabel Toledo (June 17-September 26, 2009). Curated by Valerie Steele, this exhibition called Fashion from the Inside Out includes 70 iconic looks from the mid 1980s to the present, including Michelle Obama's Inauguration Day Outfit.
Cuban-born designer Isabel Toledo works closely with her husband fashion illustrator Ruben Toledo and does not herself sketch. She says she is "not a fashion designer, but rather a seamstress" and construction and draping are the starting point in her designs. "I really love the technique of sewing more than anything else...the seamstress is the one who knows fashion from the inside! That's the art form really, not fashion design, but the technique of how it's done!"
The exhibition is organized into 7 sections including:
Organic Geometry
Shadow
Suspension
Liquid Architecture
Shape
Manipulated Surfaces
Origami
Admission is free to FIT but if you cannot make it to NYC, there is a comprehensive on-line exhibition.
Fashion Institute of Technology
Seventh Avenue at 27 Street
New York 1001
