Michelle Obama Inaugural Ensemble Designer Isabel Toledo

I remembered speaking about Cuban-born Isabel Toledo, designer of Michelle Obama's yellow Inaugural ensemble, in a past fashion presentation and tracked down her Manhattan atelier, that she shares with husband Ruben Toledo, featured in New York Mag in 2006.

Isabel and Ruben Toledo are known for combining Art and Fashion. Enjoy this retro look at the 2000 Broadbent Gallery Show. Toledo has always been a sensualist.

The Toledo's Chelsea loft may be dramatic digs today, but Toledo reminded the press, that she's far from being an "uptown" girl.

Isabel Toledo's designs suit the Sensual & Sensibly First Lady, who wore this sophisticated, body-conscioius black tunic and palazzo pants to a Calvin Klein 2008 Manhattan fund-raiser.

“She could’ve worn anybody,” a flattered Toledo, 47, said in her spacious, sunbathed loft on Broadway and 28th St.

“But she chose to wear a dress made by a Latina, and made in the U.S. So she chose to support the industry here.”

“I was so honored to hear that she’s a fan,” said Toledo. “Think of it, this girl from West New York, N.J., is designing a dress worn by the possible next First Lady,” she says, crossing her fingers.

For our readers not familiar with the New York metro area, West New York is across the Hudson, north of Jersey City and Hoboken and has long been a home of the very large Cuban-American community here.

There's a long history of lace and embroidery manufacturing -- now largely gone from our area -- in West New York, with a few small sewing factories still in operation there.

Toledo has long been considered one of the most gifted of American designers, even though she has struggled to become what our big business (we gotta sell a lot of those dresses) fashion industry considers a commercial success.

Anne