As I mentioned in my last couple of blogs, Isabel and Ruban Toledo visited Marymount University last weekend for Portfolio in Motion "All Dolled Up."
During the Thursday night show, before Isabel was awarded her award for designer of the year, there was a silent auction. During the silent auction, donated gifts were up for bid. The money auctioned would be given to the fashion department.
All the gifts were nice gestures, but one stood out far beyond the rest. Ruban Toledo a crafted illustrator gave the auction his original sketch and swatch from Micheal Obama's yellow inauguration dress.
There it was, a piece of history that layed before my eyes. I still couldn't believe that here I was at school where I come everyday and now in front of me was the original sketch and swatch. Most people would do anything to have this experience.
After the Thursday show Ruban Toledo and Isabel Toledo came back to Marymount the next morning. Ruban was trilled to give the fashion student a speach. He later have a Q and A about him and his wife's life story. The fashion students met in the auditorium to hear his speech.
Ruban went along to talk about how him and Isabel met and how he was inspired from her work, which lead him to become an illustrator. When it came time for him to answer questions, a young lady raised her hand and asked him and Isabel to tell their story about when they heard the news that Micheal Obama was wearing Isabels dress.
In a shorter version, this is how it went:
Isabel heard that Micheal Obama was a fan of her work. Michelle started wearing Isabels clothing years before her husband was in consideration for presidency. Michelle bought Isabels garments, which were sold at a local boutique in Chicago. Isabel got a phone call one day in December asking for her to make a dress for Michelle. So, Ruban sketched Isabels ideas down and Isabel made a black and white knee length dress with short sleeves. The couple had no idea when the dress would get worn or even if Michelle would like the style of the dress. A couple weeks later, now late December(3 days before Christmas) Isabel gets another phone call. Isabel was informed that a fancy dress needed to be made for Michelle, but Isabel was not instructed for what occasion. The couple made the infamous yellow dress and left the country for a New Year's celebration. The couple forgot about the yellow dress when returning to the states. A couple days after returning the couple gets a phone call. The phone call was received in inauguration day. Ruban answered the phone and he was asked if him and his wife designed Michelle's dress that she was wearing. Ruban asked the man of the phone to describe the dress because he hadn't turned on the television. The man described this elaborate gold/yellow dress that was knee length. Ruban told the man that was not their dress. Ruban was disappointed that it wasn't the couples black and white dress that was made weeks before. Ruban had totally forgotten the about the yellow dress. He later turned on the tv to see what dress people were buzzing about, when he realized it was there dress. He said they were in complete shock. Isabel said that in everyone who worked in their four story studio including the UPS man stood around the tv in silent for 20 minutes. After the initial shock. Reporters called and Isabel confirmed that it was her dress. She with in 30 minutes, hundreds of people were standing around the front door to her NYC studio apartment. Police had to direct traffic. The couple said that drive, creativity and passion had paid off.
Listening to this story made me think how lucky I was to see the original sketch to such a historical event.
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