Charlotte Neuville, ‘The Fashion Chef,’ Pens First Book

“I’m so confused. Are the flowers edible, too?”
It was a peculiar question overheard at an intimate cocktail party on the Upper West Side Tuesday night, but not completely unwarranted. Former fashion designer Charlotte Neuville was toasting the publication of her “Stylish Cakes: The Extraordinary Confections of the Fashion Chef,” a book containing images, stories and recipes of confectionary treats created by the so-called “fashion chef.”
In the center of Chris Lacovara and Sam Green’s home (they were hosts along with Blaine Trump) sat a display of towering cakes, decorated in colored fondant, edible glitter and pearls, and frosting-based flowers. There were other flowers too, the real kind, and no, ma’am, those were not edible.

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Next to the cakes was Neuville, looking like quite a dish herself, signing copies of the book alongside business partner Michael Coffindaffer. (The party, which acted as a benefit for God’s Love We Deliver and the Joan Rivers Bakery, raised over $20,000 in donations.)
The book comes just three and a half years after Neuville left her life in the fashion industry, where she ran her own company and also served as executive vice president of New York & Co. Inc. and Gap Inc. “It’s a baby brand that is just starting, as far as brands go,” she said. “[Making the book] was so intense. Michael and I are perfectionists, and it’s not just about perfection in the written form. The critical part was the aesthetics and how we present the brand.”
The resulting 239-page coffee table-ready tome, published by Harper Collins, is filled with personal stories, beautiful photography, and the occasional recipe or tutorial. In other words, more “Heartburn” than “Mastering the Art of French Cooking.” “I’ll never be a cookbook writer,” Neuville said.
The range of cakes spans many categories — standouts include a Fellini-inspired multi-tier creation, replete with a hand-painted recreation of the Mona Lisa, and the Puff Daddy, a behemoth, full-scale statue of a poodle constructed exclusively out of cream puffs.
But Neuville’s fashion background is also fully represented within the pages. There’s a filigree “embroidered” cake inspired by a dress from Valentino’s spring 2013 couture collection; a leather and coin covered cake – an homage to Altuzarra’s fall 2012 show, and even a little black cake, an L.B.C. if you will, in tribute to Audrey Hepburn’s little black dress in “Breakfast at Tiffany’s.”
“It was critical for me to interweave the fashion,” said Neuville. “That’s who I am. I’ll always be a fashion designer. Now, my expression is in cake design, but in my heart, I am a fashion designer.”
Neuville even opened her first store four weeks ago. The Fashion Chef brick and mortar space is located in Brookyln’s Industry Park space, and as Neuville points out, it’s not your average bakery. “It’s open all day, and then in the evening, it becomes a wine bar,” she said. “We created it to be a little jewel, so that people could essentially come in and relax in a very quiet setting with great music and wonderful food.”
In a way, the store is a reflection of a long-held aspiration.
“In the very beginning of my career, I had a dream of having this little store in SoHo with my atelier upstairs, and I would go downstairs to see the customers,” she said. “I finally got it, but I’m not doing women’s sportswear — I’m doing savory tarts and sweet cakes.”
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Uptown Fashion Affair ups the ante with full-scale runway

Michigan City's Uptown Arts District saw plenty of fashion flair Friday at the fourth annual Uptown Fashion Affair.
The event, held at historic Barker Hall, showcased several of the region's local boutiques, salons and artists and the latest trends in women's and men's fashions.
The event, which sold out in 2013 and 2014, boasted about 400 followers last year; this year, 300 out of 330 tickets were sold. Less were made available to accommodate for the debut of a full-scale runway, 48 feet long by 4 feet wide.
The Uptown Fashion Affair serves as a fundraiser each year to benefit the revitalization of the Uptown Arts District. Last year, between $6,000 to $7,000 was raised, said Abigale Thayer, Uptown Fashion Affair Committee Chair and manager/buyer at Urban Soles, 624 Franklin St.

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"It's more about creating awareness within our community on that end of town," she said.
Thayer emphasized the goal is "to never make it feel like there's an exclusivity down there," and said, "it's astounding to me how many people think we are new and we've been there four years."
"If we can gain 50 more people that get excited and attend events and shop, it's going to have a positive effect," she said.
"This event is primarily to highlight merchants of Mainstreet, which is growing all the time," said Diane Wilczewski, Michigan City Mainstreet Association's executive director.
She said not only does the Michigan City Mainstreet Association organize events such as the Uptown Fashion Affair, but it also works diligently behind the scenes, partnering to help promote the area.
Wilczewski said Mainstreet and the city work closely together on decisions and projects regarding the Uptown Arts District.
Design and style pairings on the runway included: Elle Salon/The Closet by Franklin Vintage, Salon Cilla/Luxe Boutique, Timothy Jeffry Salon/Darling, Paris House of Bridal/Lakefront Salon & Day Spa, Dory Salon/At the Beach, The Parlor/Urban Soles, Hair's the Thing/Ella's Bella and J. Hilburn. Special artists were Chef Bizzaro Millinery and the Region R.A.T.S.
Jewelry and accessories for the Uptown Fashion Affair were provided by beach bum jewels, Urban Soles, Amy Gawron and Debbie Shinn, Darling's Julie Biehl and Threadbenders Quilt Shop. Music was provided by Richard Houck of Rolling Sounds.
"The art element is incorporated whenever it can be," Thayer said.
Furthermore, Thayer said when choosing the 90 models, "we really made an effort to include people who are locally involved."
For the first time, a program for the fashion show allowed viewers to follow along and make notes on what they might like to buy.
Kate Lawson, who is employed by Elle Salon, 113 W. Eighth St., attended the event with her husband, Aaron Lawson.
"I think it's amazing, and they do a really great job. It's a fun event to go to downtown," she said.
Brandy Hula, the owner of Maxine's, 521 Franklin St., said, "It gets the community involved. It's as local as it gets. It allows us all to get together and to work together."
In addition to the fashion show, the $25 admission ticket included small bites by Pickle & Turnip, Maxine's and Arturo's Baked Goods & More. More local establishments, Shoreline Brewery, Burn 'Em Brewery and Shady Creek Winery, provided beverages.
A silent auction included a weekend stay at Beachwalk, restaurant gift certificates, local art items and more. Each attendee also received an exclusive goodie bag that contained special coupons, deals and samples.
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Student-run fashion show ‘enchants’ audience

If you strive to live the life of the glitzy and glamorous, the Apparel Merchandising and Design Association (AMDA) fashion show last Thursday night was the place to be.
Though the Brown Ballroom has been used for various events, it was truly transformed into a glamourous venue for “Enchanted: From Dawn to Dusk.”
Guests were treated to a sophisticated night of mocktails, appetizers and, of course, the most innovative fashion created by talented Illinois State University students.
The misty up-lighting and wooden trees on the runway created an “out-of-Normal” experience. The mystical music accented with chirping birds and a haunting voice-over set the tone for a night of enchantment. The room full of fashionably dressed folks added to the glamour as well, creating a scene from an elegant city setting.

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If the atmosphere and décor did not already impress, the collections modeled on the runway were breathtaking. The models showed poise and confidence, flaunting the designs on the runway. That being said, the designs were fabulous enough on their own.
To think that each look was designed and made by an ISU student is truly amazing. Designs ranged from bold prints on structured dresses to subtle neutrals on jumpsuits to all-black lingerie-inspired looks. The student designers are quite talented and deserve credit for the artwork they have created.
Cassandra Zimmer, junior public relations and apparel merchandising major, was delighted by the show and all the designs featured.
“I really loved the show this year. It seems like it gets better and better every year,” Zimmer said.
“Two years ago I was a model and then last year I helped backstage, so it’s nice to be able to see all the collections firsthand.”
As for the collections, she had a hard time picking out her favorite.
“I really loved the show this year. It seems like it gets better and better every year.”
Cassandra Zimmer
Junior public relations and apparel merchandising major
“I would have to say that Megan Dowling’s collection was my favorite. All her prints, they’re so beautiful and had a lot of Vera Bradley inspiration,” Zimmer said.
While awards were given away to only the top three designers, they were all excellent and deserving of recognition. The winners were senior Megan Dowling with her collection “Whimsical Sun” for first place, senior Anitra Carson with her collection “Minimal” for second place and senior Taylor Bingham for third with her collection “Nyctophilia.”
Dowling, a senior majoring in apparel design, was ecstatic to receive the highest award.
“After designing for the show for the past three years, it felt really great to win and have all my hard work pay off. It was a great way to finish my senior yer in the design progam,” Dowling said.
Although only the winners left the stage with awards, all of the designers ended the show with a sense of pride and relief. Sophomore designer Evie Hansen was happy to finally show off her designs.
“I’m so relieved. When I saw them on the runway yesterday in dress rehearsal, I was like, ‘oh thank God it’s all done. Everything looks great,’” Hansen said.
While Hansen is pleased to be done constructing, she is already preparing for next year’s big show.
“I’m ready for next year and all the stress that comes with it,” Hansen said.
As for next year, we are all excited to see the theme and collections the designers come up with. Such talent deserves a night of prestige.
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This Indian Paper's Fashion Advice Reveals Everything Wrong with Treatment of Indian Women

On Saturday, one of India's popular newspapers, the Hindustan Times, published a column of sartorial advice in the "Lifestyle" section that suggested women take a different approach to dressing themselves.
The newspaper suggested women stop wearing pants and start wearing miniskirts (especially in the snow).
The slideshow includes various women, none of whom appear to be Indian, wearing skirts under a headline reading, "Seriously ladies, it's time to ditch those slacks for short skirts."
Though the column may seem to be an innocuous list of style suggestions, it points to the much larger problem of mainstream media's pressure on Indian women to dress more suggestively.

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Along with the obvious problem of cajoling women into revealing clothing, there's the issue that wearing these kind of outfits literally puts Indian women in danger. The country's women have repeatedly been targeted and punished for dressing "immodestly" with everything from assault to rape.
A larger trend: The pressure to participate in exactly the kind of behavior that's used to excuse attacks on women is part of a disturbing dichotomy in Indian society. While it's extremely important to remember what a woman is wearing is never an excuse for any kind of unwanted advances or assault, the fact remains Indian women are being targeted in what's becoming a increasingly disturbing and systemic problem.
In December 2012, a 23-year-old student in Delhi was gang raped so violently on a bus, she died two weeks later. In May 2014, two girls were raped by four men, two of whom were police officers, when they went to urinate outside in the absence of having a real bathroom.
The problem has also made its way into the media's spotlight. Gauhar Khan, a presenter on Raw Star, the Indian equivalent of American Idol, was slapped and assaulted by a male audience member in December 2014 for wearing clothes that he said were too revealing.
Tip of the iceberg. While some might argue these examples, though heinous, are anecdotal, the relevant statistics reveal just how pervasive this issue is. A woman or girl is raped roughly every 22 minutes in India, according to national statistics reported by the Associated Press — and that's only counting the reported cases.
"India is a horribly patriarchal society," Jayati Ghosh, an economics professor from Jawaharlal Nehru University, told Mic. However, Ghosh says, the problem of gender-based violence is far more complicated than entrenched patriarchy.
"It is exacerbated by material fragility with young people, whose opportunities are so out of sync with their expectations. They can't access the world of films, TV and ads being dangled in front of them and they're mad as hell about it. And when you're mad, you often turn to those you can get away with abusing."
This, combined with an increasing number of young women getting educated and appearing in public spaces, Ghosh said, creates a perfect storm. Once you factor in the subordination of the lower social castes, the problem gets even worse.
And despite the outrage some of these high-profile cases have garnered, the numbers aren't getting better. Posts like the one by the Hindustan Times only compound the country's confused identity.
Lighten up? While the issue of gender-based violence should unequivocally be a top priority, there are other dark undercurrents revealed in the way mainstream media presents women in India.
The models in the Hindustan Times are all noticeably lighter than what one might expect for the average Indian. Unsurprisingly, the nation has some seriously unrealistic beauty standards. Bleach cream, used to lighten the skin, is one of the most popular beauty products among Indian women, composing a $500 million dollar industry.
Troubling ads like the one below are also commonplace in India. You don't need to understand Hindi to get thePretty Woman "big mistake" parallel as the once-dark-and-dismissed lady is greeted with respect after she lightens up with Fair & Lovely cream.
India has a number of demons to face when it comes to the treatment of women. Admonishing the denigration of dark-skinned women and punishing rapists for their crimes are steps in the right direction. Accountability is one of the only ways things will change.
Ghosh also argues that gender-sensitization is a cruciality. While having an equal number of men and women in the police force is important, people of all genders need to learn more about those who are not like themselves.
"And the much more significant thing to do would be making this sensitization start in school, in public schools," Ghosh added. Because if we don't teach our children the tenets of humanity, no one else will.
In the meantime, even if the Hindustan Times column was just a innocuous mistake, like fashion magazines tend to make, it reveals a much larger problem overtaking a country with an increasingly poor record on humans rights. So, "seriously ladies," dress however you want.
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Glenn Beck Launches Women’s Fashion Line by Comparing Daughter to Marilyn Monroe

Glenn Beck is a lot of things — author, radio host, conservative (or liberal, depending on the day) lightning rod. Now you can add women’s fashion designer to that list.
Keeping a vow he made to himself decades ago, the “Blaze” media guru launched 1791 Supply & Co. for women, a line of denim clothing inspired by his desire to dress regular ladies who are not shaped like runway models.
“My trouble … stems from the fact that while growing up my daughter was a dress size SMALLER than America’s most famous model and sex symbol Marilyn Monroe,” Beck wrote in a Facebook post on Thursday.

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“God forbid a designer makes anything cool that would fit her! Most American women are shaped like Norma Jean not the 12-year-old boy shaped models covering the walls of the ‘cool stores,'” he added, referencing Monroe’s birth name, Norma Jeane Mortenson.
What’s unclear from the post is exactly how his daughter being smaller than the voluptuous actress (who was at most a size 10), and thus more likely to reflect those “cool store” models, was a problem. Nevertheless, it caused Beck enough heartache to prompt a lifelong quest to create clothes for regular women.
“As I wiped the quiet and hidden tears away store after store as she was told, ‘oh, no, it doesn’t come in that size,'” Beck wrote, “I made myself a promise.”
Beck launched 1791 Supply & Co. — named for the year the Bill of Rights was ratified — in 2012 with two styles of men’s jeans. The ladies’ denim additions were “designed for and tested on all the girls” in Beck’s life.
The made-in-America brand runs in the $150 range.
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Meet the Woman Filling the Plus-Size Shopping Void With Minimalist Designer Clothes

Launching tomorrow, the Instagram-popular shopping site Mei Smith will stock wish-fulfilling threads made by emerging designers for sizes 12 and up.
These luxury clothes are made specifically for the women who get continually screwed when it comes to minimalist fashion. The founder, Ayanna Wu, partnered with brands like Hackwith Design House, Shaina Mote, and Benjamin Jay. They all agreed to upgrade their patterns to offer each of their unique collections in extended sizes for the first time, just for Mei Smith. Wu promises the site will offer fashionable shirt dresses and cool girl clothes that the larger markets just don’t have enough of. If you can find a thousand flowy print maxi dresses in plus-size hell, then this site is the stylish alternative. Wu doesn’t wear clothes 12 and up herself, but when she shopped for her teenage sister who did, she was annoyed at the lack of good options.
We hit her up for her thoughts on the terms that describe curvy girl fashion, the future of fashion sizes, and why she chose her brands.

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So what specific kinds of items and styles were you unable to find in the larger markets?
Specifically, I was unable to find designer collections that had a minimal aspect to it in the market. Many of the “plus” brands feature prints, patterns, graphics, etc. I wanted to provide something different for this consumer, in terms of merchandise and presentation.
When did you feel like this movement started gaining traction?
I feel like this movement started slowly gaining traction a couple of years ago, like 4-5 years ago. I think it was major when Asos launched their Curve collection.
Can you explain why you chose each collaborator?
So besides Carmakoma, the other brands that I chose to collaborate with all produce within the United States. I think the dwindling of garment production in the U.S.A. is super heartbreaking. The Garment District in the city used to be the hub of fashion and production. So when I came across these brands and they in return loved what I wanted to do and wanted to work together, it was amazing. Not to pick favorites because I love all four brands Mei Smith is carrying, but one in particular, Hackwith Design House, has an amazing philosophy. They don’t believe in mass production so they produce less than 25 pieces of each style in their Minneapolis studio, each numbered 1/10, 2/10, etc. Each garment is truly special.
Do you ever anticipate addressing more of a range if the clothes take off?
Actually, my first intention was for Mei Smith to carry sizes 0-24. I don’t like the emphasis on sizes in the industry because everyone is built differently and the industry makes you seem abnormal if you aren’t within a specific size range. So, I wanted to carry every selected style from 0-24 but that didn’t pan out simply because I didn’t have the budget to do so. Therefore, at the moment I am focusing on 12-24, but I hope in the future to actually include the smaller sizes.
Sabina – White, Shaina Mote Mandela Dress (Retail $334)​ (size 14-16) Marelle – Black, Carmakoma Us Dress (Retail $116) (size 12) (The founder mentioned that ideally, she would have cast a 16-18 model, but her budget wouldn’t allow her to this time.) All photos by Heath Latter.
Can you speak a little bit about terms surrounding “curvy girl fashion”?
I’m not a huge fan of labels. We are all so different, it is crazy to try and box individuals into a category based off size. I know women who feel the plus-size label is necessary, I know women who don’t, some who like it, some who don’t. I personally just do not care for it. I think it is possible to say, “Hey here’s my line or store that carries such-and-such size” without having to label it for “curvy” women or “real” women or “plus-size” women. I cannot tell you how much I hate that “real” women phrase. Am I not a woman if I wear a size 4? A size 2? Am I a robot? A unicorn? What am I?
What do you see as the future of plus-size fashion?
I see the term “plus-size” not even being necessary in the future. I see the market as being one with the rest of the fashion industry in the future.
If fit is the reason for the site, how will you handle sizing?
I’m going to try and provide really great photos and measurements for each garment and model. I know fit is a major issue for every woman. So I really want to make sure the customer has an understanding of the fit of the garment before purchasing. Getting the right fit will always be a learning challenge, but I’m definitely up for it.
Any celebrities you would love to see wearing these clothes?
Mary Katrantzou, Rebel Wilson, Oprah, Melissa McCarthy, Mindy Kaling, and Amber Riley just to name a few. A random bunch but I think they would look pretty cool. Minimal aesthetics looks good on everyone.
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