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.
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Earlier Event: July 20
Location Gallery: "Mental Properties"
Later Event: August 16
Jepson Center: "Emancipation: The Unfinished Project of Liberation"