Food Couture
Increasingly, food is becoming an integral part of the fashion world, appearing in the form of edible designs. As an organic material, food offers a compelling medium for expression and exploration in our technologically driven era. The question arises: can food attain an eternal status within this context, or has it already done so? The "Food Couture" project, a fusion of food and fashion, blurs the lines between these two worlds. The ephemeral collection included several pieces.
Paris, April 2024
Cake in a corset
Basil, Gorgonzola, Pear
Dessert that can potentially affect the expansion of the body and a corset as a restraining element, together embodying the tension. Corset was crafted specially for a dessert by Ukrainian designer Denis Klimanskiy. In advance we measured both, ensuring they fit together. It is sized as for 3-years old child. Denis added inside a special plastic film so that the corset doesn’t come in contact with edible parts. Alina made a cake twice - for a photoshoot and for the event. For the second time the cake turned out larger. We were even afraid that it wouldn’t fit into the corset. But finally this is exactly what made its appearance the way intended: cake that feels tight in a fabric like in a cage ironically reminded a body that is cramped and has unexpectedly gained weight before an important event. While consumption liberates it.
Gloves with Churchkhela
These gloves incorporate Churchkhela, a Georgian candy that Alina first encountered in Crimea in her childhood. Due to the region's current occupation by Russia, access to this delicacy is now limited. The black, rope-like candy made from hazelnuts and grape juice evokes memories of a distant and inaccessible world. The edible part can be renewed after each consumption, symbolizing the symbiosis between organic and artificial elements.
Half - cake shoes
Pair of deconstructed lace shoes lack heel and toe. Without edible parts clothes are inapplicable to the real world. Although food give them life just for a while. Parallel creative process was truly special. Every time Denis showed samples, Alina was imagining how to incorporate them into future cakes. Thanks to tenderness that Denis added to the products, cream monograms were born on edible parts. Alina drew them on the shoes to continue lace texture.
Arrow candy
Made from chocolate fudge and cognac, this piece features avorite childhood sweets in a provocative display. It reflects on the themes of memory and controversy, emphasizing the aggression and nostalgia associated with childhood experiences, where sweetness often intertwines with trauma.
Finally, the cake was eaten and the edible heels break, as intended. This project showcases the ephemeral nature of these creations and their fleeting interaction with the eternal, highlighting the fragility of one under the influence of the other, and their delicate union.
