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The Arts Intel Report

A Cultural Compass
For the World Traveler
A Cultural Compass
For the World Traveler

Isabel Toledo: A Love Letter

Isabel Toledo

Apr 28 – June 10, 2022
Rue du Four, 84480 Lacoste, France

Isabel Toledo was born in Cuba in 1960, but was raised in West New York, across the Hudson River in New Jersey. She started sewing when she was eight, and like the hands-on Madame Grès before her, became a designer of deeply imaginative garments that were also easy to wear. The invention of her cut, the drama of her silhouettes, she was singular in her field, not unlike Martha Graham in modern dance or Maria Callas in opera. Toledo often partnered on projects with her husband, the artist Ruben Toledo—a fascinating creative collaboration. Isabel died in 2019, too young. This is the first exhibition in France to celebrate her rare vision. —Laura Jacobs

Photo: Randall Bachner/courtesy of the Ruben and Isabel Toledo Archives