[1] Raised in West New York, New Jersey, after settling in the United States at the age of eight, she attended Memorial High School, where she met her future husband and collaborator, Ruben Toledo, whom she married in 1984.

[1] Toledo presented her first collection in 1984 at Danceteria, with the help of her friend Joey Arias, who organized the events, and became an official participant in New York Fashion Week in 1985.

[citation needed] Isabel and her husband, Ruben Toledo, were the recipient of the 2005 Cooper-Hewitt National Design Award for their work in fashion.

[citation needed] On September 3, 2008, Isabel Toledo was presented with the third annual Couture Council Award for Artistry of Fashion from the Museum at FIT in New York's Rainbow Room atop Rockefeller Center.

[1] Toledo designed a lemongrass yellow, wool, and lace shift dress with matching overcoat, which the First Lady selected to wear at the first inauguration of Barack Obama, on January 20, 2009.