Isabel Toledo
July 2, 2009
Just saw the Isabel Toledo show at FIT and it was inspirational, it is the best fashion design exhibit I have ever seen. What was most impressive was that she included drawings of her patterns beside each finished piece — critics have called her style, “Fluid Architecture” and it’s easy to understand why, when I see how her graceful drawings and flowing patterns build up into these magnificent structures… err, dresses. And unlike a lot of other contemporary fashion, I think her stuff is actually wearable. I never appreciated fashion design nearly as much as I do today.
If all you know of Toledo is that she designed Michelle Obama’s outfit for the inauguration, toss your expectations out the window. Michelle Obama’s dress and coat are the low point of the show, demonstrating that even a great designer can crank out some boring crap for politician’s wife. I wish she was better known for her real work and not her compromises. But it got her on the map, so all’s fair… go see this show (Isabel Toledo: Fashion From the Inside Out, The Museum at FIT (Fashion Institute of Technology), through September 26).
Alas, no photography allowed. This was nearby. (larger)
I know next to nothing about fashion design, but my impression is that most designers start by sketching and sort of imagine their piece and then have patterns created based on their sketches. But I think that Toledo is starting with the patterns themselves, looking for simple, elegant construction, and letting those concerns drive the outcome and look. Which is subversive, craftsman-like, and very beautiful — and also applicable to other arts, including photography.
Reader Comments (add yours)
1. Michael — Jul 3 2009 02:37 PM
I hope you have a chance to check out the History of Fashion exhibit at the Metropolitan. A lot of original prints from Avedon, Ray, Leibowitz, etc.