Designer Isabel Toledo has become a household name thanks to a certain coat and dress worn by Michelle Obama on Inauguration Day. And now she’s getting her own retrospective exhibit at FIT, opening tomorrow: “Isabel Toledo: Fashion From the Inside Out.” New York’s fashion director Harriet Mays Powell took a private tour with Toledo, husband Ruben, and Dr. Valerie Steele, director of the Museum at FIT. “I am an American designer. I really believe this is where I get all my inspiration,” Isabel explains. As for that now-famous outfit, it’s headed to the Smithsonian. And no, Toledo didn’t know that Michelle was going to wear it ahead of time. “It was really a beautiful surprise,” she says. Watch the video to preview the exhibit and see some of Isabel’s earlier work, as well as some couture-worthy pieces.
“Isabel Toledo: Fashion From the Inside Out” runs June 17–September 26 at FIT.