Cooking Up Fabulous Style
Everyone knows the best way to someone’s heart is through her or his stomach, but the kitchen is no longer the only place you can achieve that age-old mantra. Carolina Herrera bringing fashion’s favorite Parisian café to New York City, and Nordstrom opening both a deli with Rag & Bone and a Finnish summer market with Marimekko, are only a few examples of fashion’s recent rendezvous with food. With normalcy returning, brands are all stepping out to make an impact by bringing people together, and using food is the perfect way to do that.
Very recently, Carolina Herrera brought Rue de Rivoli to Madison Avenue with an Angelina Paris Café pop-up at their New York City Flagship. The French tearoom was first established in 1903 and quickly became a regular hangout for fashion moguls like Coco Chanel and Marcel Proust. Today, it is a tourist hotspot and a popular lunch destination during Paris Fashion Week. Creative director for Carolina Herrera, Wes Gordon, explained the idea for the collaboration, and shared his excitement, saying, “We think of our flagship as our home, and this is an extension of that, a place where everyone can come and entertain. And who doesn’t want to be outside, see friends and enjoy the sun and flowers right now?” Stop by Madison Avenue’s little Angelina corner and indulge in the signature hot chocolate, or a new “iced chocolate,” and enjoy the summer in the city, through July 31.
Nordstrom is putting its foot in the kitchen door as well, with two of their pop-up shops this summer. Rag & Bone Neighborhood Deli at Nordstrom, which opened earlier this month, is an immersive retail experience offering men and women’s summer 2021 ready-to-wear and accessories from Rag & Bone. Among these are over 20 items created exclusively for the collaboration and a limited-edition range of graphic tees. In stores, shoppers will find “frozen RB goods” in fake coolers, and other products on mock deli counters. Nordstrom and Rag & Bone have not only created an entertaining way to shop and an exclusive collection, but they are also making a $25,000 grant to the Restaurant Workers’ Community Foundation to celebrate the opening and support the community. This grant will benefit the Restaurant Workers COVID-19 Crisis Relief Fund by providing aid to individual workers, industry nonprofits, as well as zero interest loans to restaurants to get them up and running again. Throughout the pop-up’s run, there will be live and digitally led programming activated to bring the deli experience to life. This pop-up can be shopped online and in select stores through June 5.
Alongside their new deli, Nordstrom is also opening a European-inspired summer market with Marimekko. The Finnish design house is celebrating 70 years of bold prints and colors with a new collection at Nordstrom inspired by summer treats. The collection, titled “Treats for Life,” includes women’s and children’s apparel, handbags, accessories, footwear, and home items inspired by the fruits, vegetables, and flowers found in Finnish summer markets. Treats for Life features archived prints from the 1960s and 70s, including Maija Isola’s Appelsiini (orange), Mansikka (strawberry), Mansikkavuoret (strawberry mountains), Melooni (melon), and Kaarina Kellomäki’s Linssi (lens), as well as new additions of Antti Kalevis’s Mehu (juice) and Torin Kukat (market flowers). The pop-up store will be an immersive space filled with summer market-inspired visuals, and large-scale prints borrowed from the collection, available online and in select stores through July 18.
With life returning to normal and the pandemic seemingly fading from the main view, it is more important than ever for brands to bring people together. The fusion of fashion and food is a long-destined pairing, sure to leave anyone hungry for more. Whether you prefer a hot or iced chocolate, deli style denim, or a strawberries and cream dress, you’ll surely be able to curb your appetite this summer.
Article by Katie Harkey, Contributor, PhotoBook Magazine
Tearsheets by Daniel López, Graphic Design, PhotoBook Magazine
