While attending Tuesday’s press preview for Isabel Toledo: Fashion From The Inside Out, I watched the Cuban-born designer gamely answer questions from Fox 5 regarding The Dress. Technically, it’s a citron-colored, winter lace sheath and matching coat, i.e. an “ensemble,” but that sounds both awkward and vaguely pretentious. As the reporter nervously conceded pre -interview, he didn’t really know who Toledo was, let alone anything about her work (or, I’d imagine, the glamorous, mysterious, decidedly non-Fox-ian world of Fashion). I grinned and nodded knowingly. Their exchange proceeded smoothly, illuminating absolutely nothing new or interesting about the designer, her repertoire, or Michelle Obama.
While Toledo’s admittedly grateful to the First Lady for having heightened her profile (particularly outside of New York) I could tell that she had tired of the subject, reciting factoids initially verbalized months ago: Michelle shops at Ikram in Chicago; Michelle has championed a number of lesser-known, American designers; We didn’t know she’d be wearing the outfit until we saw it on TV, etc. Yet all the attention, particularly via the internet, has largely been welcome. “As a small business you don’t get that much coverage,” Toledo explained (to me, not the Fox guy). “Being online and having that voice has actually given me a whole other audience that I didn’t know about it. They’re very much aware of who I am.”
Toledo’s work is best described as ‘demi-couture,’ incorporating many of the meticulous, labor-intensive creative practices specific to haute couture with a more consumer-friendly, RTW accessibility.
Toledo considers herself a “seamstress” as opposed to a “designer,” often conceptualizing an idea or feeling with the help of husband/collaborator Ruben, who then gets to sketching. Garments are thought out and subsequently evolve three dimensionally by manipulating materials or trimming patterns. “I think of it as fashion from the inside out,” Toledo says.
The show’s dresses, coats and skirts (a pant-less exhibition) are categorized thematically, based upon the myriad styles, influences and techniques that encompass Toledo’s vast oeuvre: “Liquid Architecture,” for one, was a term coined to describe the way pliable textiles, like rayon jersey and jersey crepe, fall and fold when contouring the body. Other categories include “Shadow,” featuring see-thru wares fashioned of lace and mousseline or organdy and chiffon, and ‘Suspension,’ comprised of jersey and taffeta dresses hanging easily from thin fabric cords or cables.
This isn’t Toledo’s first retrospective, nor will it be her last. Widespread commercial acclaim has thus far eluded her, but she remains critically stalwart, a “designer’s designer” widely respected by industry insiders. Though I’m loath to use the word, annoyed by its ubiquity of late, here it is: her looks aren’t just elegant, they’re timeless.
Each and every piece in the exhibit could be worn today as easily as when it was first created in the 1980s, 90s or 00s. To wit, Toledo has resurrected looks from her archive (tinkered with only slightly) to be sold at Barneys, Nordstrom and yes, Ikram, in the fall through the end of the year. Barneys will feature select pieces in a trunk show next week.
Toledo told me that initially her love of sewing was just that–a fun hobby. “I didn’t think it was going to be a career. I never imagined doing this for a living,” she said. “The thought, ten years ago, when I got my first retrospective was ‘wow, I’ve got fingerprints, I’ve made an imprint that’s recognizable.’ As a designer, that’s inspiring. I’m not thinking about a fashion moment but about a body of work, a language.” Here’s to la lengua Toledo gaining currency.
+Sarah
Isabel Toledo: Fashion From The Inside Out at The Museum at FIT, thru 26 September 2009
