Go ahead, eat your hat: Edible & Food-Inspired Fashions

The World Chocolate Fair is held in Paris in October. If that news wasn't exciting enough, one of the events at the fair is a chocolate fashion show. French model Laetitia Rey modeled a chocolate outfit designed by Eva Rachline.

It showcased chocolate features by French chocolate maker Magnum. Le Salon du Chocolat is taking its show on the road, next to China. Shanghai is hosting the world's largest event dedicated to chocolate.

Do you have plans for the 13th of March (2010)? You could attend the Edible Fashion Awards in New Zealand.

Edible fashion shows aren't new. Whether they're done for the spectacle, to draw public interest, to show designers' skills and creativity or all of the above, they're fun to watch. We need a lift right now in particular.

The popular television show, Project Runway has had a few challenges for its fashion designers where they've been asked to design clothes using edible elements. The first challenge of the first episode of the first season of Project Runway was a grocery store challenge.

Austin Scarlett won the challenge with his Corn Husk dress. Since then, the show has had another grocery store challenge and a candy store challenge. There was also least one challenge where the designers had to use plants and flowers for their garments.

For the 2010 VMA Awards held September 2010, Lady Gaga wore a dress made of meat. Referring to her outfit – and wearing her best poker face – Lady Gaga joked: "I never thought I'd be asking Cher to hold my meat purse."
Seeing the two icons together shows some of the evolution of rock music fashion.

A Guardian retrospective shows other outfits, worn by Gaga and others, that have been meat-inspired.

In a September blog post, I talked about The Berkeley Hotel in London's famous Fashionistas' Afternoon Tea, Prêt-à-Portea. It features cookies, cakes and petit fours inspired by current fashion trends seen on the runways.

On season one of RuPaul's Drag Race, the contestants had an Absolute Vodka challenge. They had to make outfits in the colors of the fruit flavors but also somehow incorporate the fruits themselves into the what they'd be wearing.

I have an article online about an episode of The Dick Van Dyke Show where Rob Petrie grows lettuce on his head instead of hair. I found a quote from the make-up man that reminded me of some of the challenges on shows like Project Runway.

"The sight gag that arrives at the episode's climax -- where Rob wakes up to discover that his scalp has been transformed into an actual head of lettuce -- was a special effect that makeup man Tom Tuttle achieved by ingenious means, employing a standard theatrical bald cap and other items obtained at the local grocer.

"'I found an old head of cabbage,' explains Tuttle, 'and then I took a needle and thread and just sewed it through. Leaf by leaf.'" -- from The official Dick Van Dyke show book: the definitive history and ultimate..., by Vince Waldron.

Beatrice Oettinger uses natural materials in her garments, sometimes including plants, grasses and barks. Her outfits may also consist of a little pasta.

If you'd like to wear some more carbs, The Dadada Studio's bread shoes are hot. Not too hot though.

This doesn't really qualify as edible fashion, but it's unconventional material allows it in nonetheless.

British professor and designer Helen Storey, along with chemist and fellow professor Tony Ryan, has created a dissolvable dress. If you're the type who prefers to wear a dress once, this one may be perfect for you.

From their web site: "We chose [a] dress to manifest our new approach because we wanted to create something beautifully familiar with which to stimulate an emotional connection, particularly here at LCF.

"To watch a dress, that has taken months to create, disappear in a few days seemed to connect directly to that place of unfathomable loss. We hope this may work as a metaphor for our disappearing world."

Maybe the dissolving dress is a bit sheer for you. Don't worry. You can try it over some Candy underwear. Remember candy necklaces? The edible womens Candy Bra is sweet and sexy as they say on Amazon. It comes in one size though.

The Twin Pack: Edible Candy G-String & Edible Candy Bra: Top and Bottom for Women gets you a full ensemble.

There's also something for you guys out there in the Candy line: Edible Mens Candy Pouch Thong, too. I don't know about wearing these to the beach or to a pool party. It's up to you.

I like to feature items along the theme that are available from Etsy sellers in my posts and have never had a problem coming up with them.

If you're in a DIY (Do It Yourself) mood, Candypopcreations has a Candycorn Beanie Crochet Pattern. Make a bunch for your whole family. Make another set of them flesh-colored and be the local Coneheads? Just tell people that you're from France.

Maybe you'll get the prime seat at the sushi bar if you show up in your Ikura Sushi Cocktail Hat from CrayonFawn's Shop. (left)

No one will be able to resist the Tutie Cutie Tea Party Strawberry Fairy Princess Tutu Outfit! Get your cutie patootie over to Tutiecutieboutique and see for yourself. (See bottom of page)

Back to feeling DIY. Dianelangan has a pattern for a Food Art Carrot Scarf. Orange is a popular color, too.

Apricotbabybaby has something to go with those bread shoes talked about earlier. It's a Crochet Cozy Buttery Toast Scarf.

Devaniweaver can get you into your very own Cupcake dress with sprinkles and a cherry on top. (right) Be delish in 2010.

You know someone special who'd love these personalized Fortune Cookie Slippers. Just stop by Sushibooties' Shop to find a pair.

[Tutiecutieboutique]

What about sculpture made of edible materials? Butter, cheese and chocolate sculptures you see in the state fair? How many controversia sculpture proposals have there been in the past few years alone? Is it an honor or a mockery or publicity, and who makes that choice?

This is definitely not the last time we'll talk about "edible fashions" as the subject is so interesting and it's good to remember that you are what you eat.

Some images from the London Telegraph and Bravo TV; Cher/Lady Gaga photo The Guardian

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