Strong shapes are a Toledo trademark. Ruben sculpts bizarre anthropomorphic figures. Isabel uses cloth to emulate a fantastic variety of creatures. Their search for plasticity and volume ranges over the entire natural world.

Disguising the body, the cocoon jacket is reminiscent of a shell-like carapace. Although Isabel creates with no pre-determined ideas, the taffeta's volume suggested the form of an exoskeleton. In this jacket the wearer becomes aware of the occasional caress of the fabric and the space between the body and its covering. This combination of sensuality and sense of distortion is also present in the packing dress. By refusing to restrict her designs to silhouettes that are slender and flattering, Isabel gives herself and her clients greater freedom. To counterbalance extravagant shapes, Isabel will use familiar fabrics such as denim and jersey. While her sophisticated volumes are linked in spirit to the couture world of Balenciaga, her American roots enable her to consider production ease, practicality and comfort.

Accentuation of the body's shape in another route she follows. The red denim jacket is cut and quilted to obtain a stereotypical feminine silhouette. The batting-padded hips, linked to the quilting process as well as to historic precedents, give the illusion of a smaller waist.

Conceived outside the norm yet known for its fine workmanship, Isabel Toledo's work is hard to categorize. Her designs reflect an ongoing investigation, the ultimate goal of which is longevity rather than novelty, individuality rather than predictability. Stimulated by each other's creative energy, Isabel and Ruben Toledo cause us to ponder where art begins and fashion ends.