SCAD FASH Lacoste Museum of Fashion + Film Presents Isabel Toledo: A Love Letter 

Exhibition to honor beloved fashion designer debuts in France spring 2022

Lacoste, France - The Savannah College of Art and Design is honored to present Isabel Toledo: A Love Letter at the newly dedicated SCAD FASH Lacoste museum at the university’s flagship study-abroad location in Provence, France. Curated in close collaboration with Isabel’s husband, artist and noted fashion illustrator Ruben Toledo, A Love Letter is the first posthumous exhibition dedicated to the beloved Cuban-born American fashion designer and the debut presentation of her magnificent body of work in France. The exhibition launches the university’s celebratory year of activations and festivities honoring SCAD Lacoste’s mile- stone 20th anniversary as the premier global destination for art and design education and the cultural epicenter of the Luberon Valley.

Set in SCAD FASH Lacoste’s majestic and ex- quisitely preserved medieval caves, A Love Letter celebrates the remarkable designer’s expertise in techniques, textiles, form, and color, and is complemented by a large-scale installation of works by Ruben. The exhibition will also include precious personal mementos from the Toledos’ life together in a heartfelt tribute to one of fashion’s greatest love stories and the lasting influence of Isabel’s passion and ingenuity.

"Isabel often described her work as ‘romantic mathematics’—each design fusing precise geometric construction with otherworldly grace," said SCAD President and Founder Paula Wallace. "SCAD honors and celebrates Isabel’s oeuvre at SCAD FASH Lacoste, where students and guests can see and experience her divine genius."

Born in Cuba in 1960, Isabel emigrated to New York with her family as a young girl. She met Ruben Toledo in high school, sparking a lifelong creative partnership. Inherently curious and artistic, Isabel was a self-taught fashion designer who began making clothes for herself as a teenager, soon appearing on international “Best Dressed” lists. She honed her approach during her time working under legendary fashion editor Diana Vreeland at The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute where she had intimate access to garments by iconic couturiers such as Cristóbal Balenciaga, Coco Chanel, Madeleine Vionnet, Christian Dior, and others.

Isabel presented her first namesake collection in 1985 to critical acclaim, quickly gaining a reputation as a “designer’s designer,” a true original and artist foremost, maintaining a fully independent label dedicated to her craft and eschewing the limelight. Her design process was guided by emotions, rather than concepts, which she translated into elegant, impeccably crafted garments that are radical in their construction yet supremely wearable. This pure devotion to her work and honest artistic mindset led her to become one of the most respected and beloved fashion designers in the industry.

Over the decades, Isabel and Ruben Toledo’s creative process was intrinsically intertwined, with the pair acting as each other’s muse, advocate, confidant, and collaborator. Isabel’s place in fashion history was cemented when First Lady Michelle Obama selected a lemongrass Isabel Toledo ensemble to wear to President Obama’s inauguration in 2009, catapulting the designer to global recognition and acclaim. Isabel and Ruben Toledo have had a longstanding affinity and relationship with SCAD and in 2009, the university presented the Toledos with the André Leon Talley Lifetime Achievement Award to honor the couple’s exceptional accomplishments in art and design.

"For more than 45 years, my wife Isabel and I shared a life of art and design wrapped around love and the joy of creation," said Ruben Toledo. "Isabel used to say, ‘fashion is what time looks like,’ and she loved dressing for emotions and communicating through art, dress, and design. I am honored that SCAD FASH Lacoste will present this tribute to her legacy."

A celebratory reception was held at SCAD Lacoste on Isabel’s birthday, Saturday, April 9, to commemorate the exhibition opening at SCAD FASH Lacoste. The festivities also included the dedication of the new museum, the international extension of the university’s premier Atlanta venue showcasing the art of fashion and film.

SCAD students studying at Lacoste from a variety of the university’s top-ranked degree programs—including art history, fibers, interior design, foundation studies, and animation — will have the opportunity to marvel at Isabel’s work and engage with Ruben through conversations, class visits, and other programming.

Isabel Toledo: A Love Letter is on view through June 10, 2022. SCAD FASH Lacoste is free and open to the public. For more information, visit scad.edu/lacoste.