Edible versions of Spring/summer 2011 Jil Sander, Tom Ford, Chloé and Miu Miu? All available courtesy of The Berkeley Hotel's Head Pastry Chef Mourad Khiat...
“I am always taken back by beautiful tailoring, embellishments, colors and shapes” reveals Canadian born Mourad Khiat. Not a designer or fashion insider as one might expect, Khiat is in fact the Head Pastry Chef at The Berkeley Hotel in Knightsbridge and the curator behind the hotel’s fashion themed afternoon tea, Prêt-à-Portea. Transforming key trends from the catwalk into biscuits and treats, this summer sees imitations of designs from Tom Ford, Chloé, Miu Miu and Jil Sander.
A quintessential custom enjoyed by ladies of the English upper class, afternoon tea was an activity rumoured to have been introduced by the wife of the 7th Duke of Bedford, Duchess Anna Maria, who would regularly hold tea parties for her friends at the breathtaking Woburn Abbey. The Berkeley Hotel has an equally elegant history. The sister hotel of Claridges, it was updated by impresario Rupert D’Oylo Carte during the 19th century to include cabaret and dance bands and was well known for being a destination for un-chaperoned debutantes and their escorts.
Influenced by their close proximity to the fashionable Sloane St, Prêt-à-Portea at The Berkeley is a refreshing take on a diminishing convention. Using their own modeling chocolate, the outcomes are often able to feature intricate details with Khiat listing sunglasses, bows, flowers and show buckles as past embellishments. All of which are inspected up close during London Fashion Week beforehand. “It is important for me to understand the flow and fabrics of the pieces”, explains Khiat. But not everything can be replicated. “One of the greatest challenges is to get the right texture and make it look edible. What might look beautiful as a garment may not necessarily work as a biscuit. Think about a fur coat.”
The fashion interpretations for spring/summer 2011 include a crème de menthe and coconut jelly in the style of Raf Simons white top and emerald green trousers for Jil Sander. A praline square shaped fancy with chocolate beads – a glamorous reference to the Chloé clutch. The Marc Jacobs jumpsuit becomes a raspberry cream fancy complete with bow belt. While a biscuit with pink icing pays tribute to the Tom Ford pink chiffon dress.
Text by Fiona Cook
