Shadow

Shadow is a mysterious and provocative element that Toledo uses as a contemporary leitmotif to examine the interplay of the transparent and the opaque, as well as the sensual experience of fabric caressing skin. Lace is a prevalent material in the Shadow category. Its use is often assumed to stem from the designer’s Spanish heritage, but for Isabel Toledo, lace and shadow are far more complex than a connection to Spanish majas.

The Red Neck dress (so called for its red silk tie) has a short and buoyant silhouette and is made of many different laces cut into small pieces and reassembled into what Toledo calls a "good old American patchwork" quilt.

An inspired use of the Shadow concept appears in a white silk organdy wedding ensemble. Sandwiched between the two layers of fabric is a thick but very lightweight batting material. The illusion of light and dark, or shadow, is further enhanced with the careful placement of scribbled, swirling loops of thick waxed thread, resulting in an intuitive pattern.