You two still seem like happy honeymooners! How do you manage working and living in your Manhattan studio every day without killing each other?

R: "I could not imagine working any other way. First of all, you can’t do something creative if you’re not in love. You’ve got to love what you’re doing and you have to love your life. If not, it’s not going to come out right. If you’re doing anything creative, you can’t lie your way through it. What you see is really how you’re feeling."

I: "We compliment one another. We come in on each other’s world and we step out when need be. There’s that respect. There’s trust, too."

R: "Absolutely — and people assume we’re very similar but we’re not. Aesthetically, we are very different. I’m very chaotic and accidental and Isabel is Zen-like and plans everything out."


A closer look at Ruben's stunning water color sketches of Isabel's designs.