When Pastries Meet Fashion
Image Courtesy: @rustcakes on Instagram
Has there ever been a connection between food and fashion? The first time I ever felt intrigued by this connection was when I watched Sofia Coppola’s Marie Antoinette, a film that embodies the characteristics of Rococo, especially in the food and desserts they present. If we look closely, we can even see that the amount of desserts present could (possibly) feed the whole crew working on the film. The pastel-colored pastries garnished with all kinds of sweets symbolize the status and power of these characters; leaving us in awe of their beauty and meaning.
The truth is these pastries are much more than food if we take into account the context. In both the Elizabethan and Victorian eras, these became symbols of a family’s social status and class; especially when we considered wedding cakes, which became more lavish as time passed. These pastries became the principal attraction of tea parties and higher-class affairs, as sugar was a newfound ingredient not many could afford. People desired to have every kind of beautifully adorned dessert in their affairs, coated in sugar, marzipan, fruits, and every flamboyant element that could embody the status of celebration and familial wealth.
So, even though these pastries weren’t strictly decorated for the sake of being fashionable, we could agree that they made a statement, and possibly became a way of self-expression for those who made them; we can see how these can still make a statement today, only with a different approach.
It wasn’t until later in the summer when I fell into a deep abyss on Instagram, where people made incredibly beautiful and overly-creative cakes, similar to these Elizabethan and Victorian desserts mentioned before, but with a modern twist. The liberties these bakers take make their pastries much more unique: they have tilted structures, frosting patterns, and sometimes excessively glittery and unconventional decorations (one of these accounts even states they make cakes as sculptures). These bakers are in no way making these cakes as a way of showing their status, but as a way of showcasing their creativity, to the point where their cakes have become a statement of the baker’s style.
One of the accounts that first caught my attention and introduced me to this unknown community was @yungkombucha420, where the baker, named Aimee, creates the most otherworldly vegan cakes one can imagine. These are more aligned with what a fairy cake would be like, staying away from being flamboyant yet making a statement with their simplicity and serenity. She isn’t only creative with the decorations, where she uses dried flowers and unexpected frosting patterns, but also creates dreamy flavor combinations such as olive oil, thyme, and Earl Grey cake.
On the other hand, some feel taken outside of Coppola’s Marie Antoinette, @rustcakes creates the most overwhelming cakes decorated with flowers, fruit, and petals and preserving a symmetry that seems almost unnatural. They are unconventional but perfect at the same time.
Symmetry might have been a requirement for perfection in the past, but now it becomes optional. The Instagram user, @cakes4sport creates decadent and otherworldly cakes that feel like a work of art; these are composed of colorful frosting in exaggerated amounts, glitter, dried foliage, and even candles. Every time we look at these we see their groundbreaking nature, embodying the chaos and beauty of the world.
Overall, it might seem ridiculous that pastries could be a manifestation of fashion, but they have become a way of self-expression that remains fascinating to the eye. In the beginning, cakes were simply made of bread, with little to no nutritional value, and slowly became a status symbol. Now, they have evolved to be pieces of art and self-expression that are shared with the world while staying away from the wastefulness that may have been present in the past. There is nothing more charming than falling into this abyss where creative desserts represent those who make them and eat them while embracing their vibrancy and celebration.
Strike Out,
Writer: Ainoa Dorrego
Editors: Cailin Rolph, Natalia Finnis-Smart
Miami