Isabel Toledo & the Inauguration Dress

Yesterday, Tammi and I got a chance to go to the Isabel Toledo exhibit at the FIT museum.


The biggest draw to this exhibit is the chance to see the dress that Michelle Obama wore the day of the Inauguration along with many dresses from her collection over the years. When I saw Mrs.O in the dress I was very impressed with it. The simplistic and elegant style appealed to me along with the non-traditional color choice and the way it seemed to shine.



Getting the chance to see it up close and in museum lighting I must say that I wouldn't have thought it was the same dress. The museum lighting is meant to preserve and not fade the fabric but it doesn't show off what is one of the best aspects of the dress. It is made of a yellow couture lace which is very matte in color. The genius of the dress is in the lining. The white wool lining not only provides warmth but it also what gave the dress it's sense of "shine" in the January sunlight.

The rest of the exhibit was very interesting to see. You can view the online exhibition here. Mrs. Toledo is the essence of a couture designer. She is driven by the art and the structure which translates to creative and expensive garment construction. Much of her work is based on the concepts of origami in fabric. If you get a chance to stop by the exhibit (which is free and on display until Sept. 26th) you should try and see it.