As a private chef, I am asked often where my inspiration comes from. My environment around me provides most of the creativity whether it be from magazines, books, restaurant design and food to the glory and experiences from travel. I also love clothes, always have. Since I locked my mother out of my room when I was 4 and tried on every piece of clothing in my closet! I love to dress up, I love to try on different outfits, to see the latest in trends and pick out those that I want to incorporate into my daily repertoire. And why do we, as women, love clothing? Because it is beautiful. It makes us feel good, it makes us feel sexy and empowered or it makes us feel strong, that we can rule the world and everything in between. In this way fashion plays a role in my cuisine on an almost daily basis. The fluidity of creativity that works so jointly between the colors, the textures, the touch and feel of both industries makes it so enjoyable to love them both so much.
There is an amazing artist who I stalk on Instagram because I love her feed so much. Her name is Gretchen Röehrs and she uses gorgeous produce and creates incredible fashion illustrations. This begs the question of how are fashion and food related. Food is an art form just as fashion is and the lovely thing about this artist is that she so simply combined the two and it all of a sudden can change how you view heirloom baby carrots or beet tops. These foods that are delicious are now a glorious showcase of the beauty of fashion and can serve as inspiration for both food and design.
Just as a designer may love a fabric that showcases brushstrokes I, too, love to use a paintbrush. To dip the widest part in a beautifully reduced sauce and brush across the plate in order to change the look before I place food atop. And just as layers of tuile grace many wedding and evening gowns, so too do I love to shave chocolate and gently layer down the side of a cake to give a cascading appearance.
Beauty truly is in the eye of the beholder and that’s the beauty of being a chef for a living. I get to create beauty every day, beauty that was inspired just by living. By taking in fashion, by taking in my environment and translating it into my work. And one of my favorite parts of the day? When I come home, remove my food stained clothes and then curate an outfit for dinner that night. What a great way to live a life full of fashionable food.