Fashionable Food

When I think of the fusion of food and fashion, it takes me back to my earliest memory of watching my mom cook in our kitchen. She always seemed to wear the same oversized turquoise and black buffalo plaid shirt and  black leggings (which she owned before leggings became popular the second time around). Comfortable and functional? Yes. Fashionable? Not so much.

Even though my mom never looked camera-ready when she cooked, I still consider her quite the trend-setter in the kitchen.  While other kids at school got hockey puck shaped snack cakes and PBJS, she used to send me off with a brown bag of pomegranates and sundried tomato focaccia. At the time it seemed weird, but I still enjoyed a sort of cool foodie status in school, and to this day l am very proud that my mom was so food-forward when it wasn’t such a trend.

Unfortunately the passion to cook didn’t really rub off on me. I love food, I just don’t love to prepare it. I like to read about it and watch the Food Network almost more than any other programming. All those chefs make it look so cool with their sleek kitchens and array of proper utensils, cooking up meals with style and ease. It’s almost enough to make me want go out and buy an apron.

Almost.

These days, certain foods are especially en vogue. Super fruits like acai and pomegranates were all the rage not too long ago, and who can forget the bacon-everything craze?

Cupcakes are among some of the most fashionable food of the moment. In Milwaukee, we have a pretty amazing cupcake following, as evidenced by annual contests like The Iron Cupcake and a slew of local gourmet bakeries. On the national level,  there’s an entire show dedicated to the dessert, Cupcake Wars, which brings three burgeoning cupcake competitors to a baking battlefield where they put forth their tastiest, most original cupcakes for a chance to have their desserts sampled by well known and influential people.

What’s funny about the show is that most of the bakers they attract to compete on the show are cute, petite women. They show up in little t-shirts that boast the adorable name of their cupcake shop in appliquéd sparkles and look like they never enjoyed a piece of cake in their life. I can’t help but think of my mom and her practical kitchen wear. I’m not sure if that makes me like the show more or less, but I guess it’s the idea that appeals to me more so than whether or not it’s television portrayal seems realistic.

Food and fashion seem to attract similar personalities and, in some cases, the two seemingly unrelated fields tend to inspire each other. Sometimes that influence is overt – just look at these flowering food-based gowns that were created for a photography project titles Hunger Pains. Other times, the effect is more subdued, and food’s influence on fashion (and vice versa) can be seen in cuts and color palettes, or in a perfectly adorned pastry. I like this particular kind of creative fusion, but I must admit that, save for creative projects, I do hope that a trend of actual food fashion does not emerge.  Remember Lady Gaga’s meat dress? I’d like to avoid more of that, please and thank you.

No matter how cool the culinary culture gets, I have a feeling I’ll always be more of a spectator (aka, a taster) rather than a creator. Or maybe it’s just one trend I haven’t given a fair try.

As with fashion, it’s important to remain open minded. Maybe if I try it, I just might like it.