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Tuesday, January 20, 2009

volumetric shapes.......but not cluttered




Isabel Toledo......designer of Michelle Obama's Inauguration Day ensemble. O, we'll be seeing more of her, which, if not overdone could be a real treat.

Cuban-born Isabel Toledo grew up in New Jersey and is widely regarded as one of America's finest designers. After attending the Fashion Institute of Technology and Parsons School of Design, in New York, Toledo developed an aptitude for architectonic design. Since presenting her first collection in 1985, Toledo hasn't been constricted by fashion seasons or trends, evolving her collections at an organic rate. With her sculptor husband, Ruben Toledo as her muse, Toledo has a distinct flair for pattern cutting and garment construction, rendering volumetric shapes with draping fabrics, experimenting with gathered seams and plentiful layering.

Isabel Toledo has recently received The Couture Council Artistry of Fashion Award (2008), and is only the third designer to be awarded such an accolade, with previous recipients being Alber Elbaz of Lanvin and Ralph Rucci.

The Isabel Toledo collection for CoutureLab showcases intricately complex designs for effortlessly timeless style.



photo and article: couturelab.com

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2 comments:

Mainframeguy said...

Interesting - from the little I saw of it Ms Obama's "ensemble" did not appear minimalist or simple in anything but colour (beige, yeuch!).

Anyway, wanted to comment on this blog also to let you know of http://www.onsimplicity.net/ from my blogroll - seems matched to the theme here?

Lydia said...

I didn't mean to imply that it was minimalist. My point was that this designer is so intriguing, and now so admired because of the ensemble (which was yellow), that her particular style of design could be overdone. She even sewed a light-weight insulating material into the coat to help Michelle Obama cope with the cold of the day...in style. That kind of thinking in women's wear is new. But the shoes looked miserable to walk in. :)
Thanks for the tip and I'll check out the blog you recommended.