Soledad Twombly

Born in Buenos Aires, Soledad Twombly's heart is never far from the pampas where her family has raised thoroughbread horses for many years. Soledad left Argentina for training in Italy, where she studied costume design in Florence, and fashion marketing in Milan.
S
She moved to New York in 1989 to work as a color consultant, and began designing clothes for friends. Travelling avidly to far-flung spots such as India, Turkey, and Central America, she began to collect fabric and gemstones which crystallized at home into her own fashion statements.

She began designing for Stria, a private label manufacturer for Barneys, Burberry, and Takashimaya. "I had a very Victorian education," she explains. "I learned how to sew, knit, and crochet as a little girl. So, as a favor, I found myself reshaping my friend's clothes. This gave me the idea of custom-made clothing."

She launched her line of one-of-a-kind creations in 1997, carrying the SOLE label. A SOLE dress may be made of antique Persian fabric, lined in silk of her own design that she has woven in India and tailored in Italy. In addition to Oriental influences, Soledad always finds inspiration in the drama of the tango of her native Argentina, to which she returns regularly for injections of music and wide open spaces.

"So much of my inspiration comes from the green hills of Argentina, where my family has raised throughbreds for over 200 years. I'm haunted by memories of that green.