I n last semester's installment of The Cultural Culinarian, I shared quite a few things about myself as I discussed culinary topics from soup to nuts — literally. I have a spontaneous peanut allergy; I get sick every October like clockwork and crave my grandma's chicken noodle soup; Anthony Bourdain is my culinary Buddha and Rachael Freaking Ray is my bête noire. So, in the interest of sharing, I'd like to divulge a new piece of information: I am pretty fashion illiterate. My winter wardrobe consists of lots of jeans, Tufts sweatshirts and down vests; I choose warmth and comfort over style.
As I was channel surfing one night over winter break, I came upon a segment on my local news station that asked viewers to "go nuts with their clothing" this season. I was intrigued and decided to tune in for some pointers. The segment took place in a Footlocker in New York City. A very peppy correspondent was discussing the latest trends in exercise gear and loungewear. I've got the whole pajama bottoms and sweatpants thing down pat, so I was about to change the channel when things got interesting. It turns out the woman literally meant using nuts for fashion.
The segment focused on apparel made from CoCoNa, an eco-friendly fabric that contains charcoal made from coconut shells. New Balance has been using CoCoNa in their running gear since 2007, and now several of their running shoes feature liners made with the fabric. There are many benefits to CoCoNa over other natural fabrics: it's odor resistant; it has cooling properties; it is a natural anti-microbial; and it has high levels of UV protection. If you think about it, CoCoNa does the same thing to you as a coconut shell does to coconut flesh — it keeps you cool, protected and free from harmful microbes and UV rays. Clearly, this is a far cry from your average coconut bra.
I starting flicking through the channels again once the CoCoNa segment was over, and when I landed on a Style Network montage of the annual Chocolate Show, my heart skipped a beat. It was like the perfect night of TV.
To understand my excitement, you need to know another thing about me: even though I am hopeless with my own fashion choices, I love fashion-themed reality TV. I don't answer my phone during "Project Runway" and I want Stacy and Clinton from "What Not to Wear" to give me a makeover. The Chocolate Show is my all-time favorite fashion TV experience. Like CoCoNa products, it combines the culinary and textile arts — fashion designers are paired with pastry chefs and chocolatiers to design avant-garde gowns made entirely from chocolate. It's part culinary demonstration, part fashion show, part fundraiser that travels to major fashion meccas around the world. The show draws big names from both industries each year; Carmen Marc Valvo was a guest designer in 2007 and Jacques Torres is a perennial collaborator. The gowns are extraordinary and usually look like they are designed from fabrics and not chocolate. Watching highlights from the Chocolate Show every year is like satisfying my TV sweet tooth.
Food and fashion may not seem like an obvious match. Most people think that if you want to indulge in one, you need to cut back on the other. CoCoNa and the Chocolate Show, however, prove that food and fashion are the perfect mix — both involve cutting-edge techniques and constant innovation. Even though I will never become a fashionista, if wearing your food is in, I'm all for it.
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Caryn Horowitz is a junior majoring in history. She can be reached at Caryn.Horowitz@tufts.edu.
