Isabel and Ruben met in high school. He was 13, she was 14. Their parents had fled Cuba in the 60’s and landed in New Jersey. Ruben fell in love with her instantly, swearing that he would one day make her his wife. They’ve been married for over 20 years.
Isabel Toledo has been designing clothes for more than 2 decades. She does not draw. Ruben Toledo is her artist.
Isabel will describe to Ruben how she wants a garment to feel; tight around the arm, airy and huge, but beautiful. And he will draw it. Im not sure what is more beautiful; their joint creations in both fabric and paint, or their deep love and devotion for each other.
Bits of an interview between Kim Hastreiter and the Toledos:
KH: How do you describe what you do?
IT: I don’t. It’s like describing my insides, and I’ve never looked at my insides.
KH: Were you always a visual person?
IT: I’m not a visual person.
KH: How can you say you’re not a visual person? Your aesthetic is so strong.
IT: I’m not, I swear. I have it all in my head, but I don’t visualize it. I feel, feel, feel. I come up with a vocabulary, but I’m not visual.
KH: But look at your color sense.
IT: Yes, but colors are emotion. I react to emotion with color. Besides I’m married to Ruben, who’s totally visual. He sees everything.
KH: You are her translator. She communicates these feelings to you, and you draw them.
RT: I kind of do the shorthand. She may say, “Oh no, you got it completely wrong, but I love this thing.” So mistakes lead to other things.
KH: Does Isabel help you with your work?
RT: Absolutely. I like the unexplained and she’s totally logical. When I make a sculpture, it wouldn’t stand for five minutes if she didn’t figure out how to keep it upright. She’s also much more focused and practical than I am. And she loves the “accident.” I’ve learned from her to give in to that. I used to think that it’s about finding the perfect color or piece of paper, and she’s like, “No, whatever’s around.” If there are only three things left in the refrigerator, she’ll snap together a beautiful meal out of them.
KH: You are so lucky. The two of you are like a symphony; it’s like this music you make together. In all your paintings, every woman has Isabel’s face. What is it about her face?
RT: It’s her eyes: They’re so mystical. They’re like looking into some other world. There’s so much soul in her eyes. It’s like a poem that you can’t quite understand, ever. It’s all about mystery. And she always keeps it, you know. She breathes mystery. It’s not about explaining everything; it is about letting it be a mystery. I love that. (Read the complete article here.)
Just explaining Isabel’s incredible technique for creating garments would not justify her work. Please go see it for yourself at THE MUSEUM AT FIT. It’s free and so beautiful.
