Roots of Style

I've been reading Isabel Toledo's book, Roots of Style. She has an interesting life, being an immigrant from Cuba, becoming a successful clothing designer in New York City. Her biggest claim to fame has been the yellow dress and coat worn by Michelle Obama at her husband's 2009 inauguration. Toledo has a clear and thoughtful voice, and easy style. The book talks at length about the creative process and the artistry and thought behind the designs. It is interesting to learn how inspiration translates to the actual garment. Her thoughts on fashion and style are also very interesting; she says for example, that style is a very effective way to carve out your individuality. For her, style is content, and fashion is surface. A person with true style displays a fertile and thinking mind.   She also mentions that fashion has introduced an international style, where it doesn't matter where you're from, the common language is fashion. Style and fashion give people tools to communicate, and gives them a voice. Fashion is also what time looks like. Designers can suggest new ideas, but the women themselves make the decision on what ideas they'll use, what ideas they will adopt into their life and wardrobe, empowering them to make fashion.