Photographer CARLOS RUIZ
Fashion Editor IAN MCRAE
These nine New York-based talents are stylishly merging food, fashion, and community.
In a 2022 New Yorker article about the artist Laila Gohar, the writer noted that an element of Gohar’s increasing popularity was that food had “gained currency as a vehicle for social commentary in the design world.” Without a doubt, Gohar’s surrealist installations and equally tongue-in-cheek homeware line, Gohar World, have made her akin to a culinary Schiaparelli. By harnessing social media to her advantage, she was, perhaps unknowingly, helping to open the doors for other food world creatives, such as the self-taught cooks, caterers, bakers, and James Beard–winning podcaster profiled here. Unlike some of Gohar’s most renowned pieces, their wares are not simply for display; they are for satiation for display; they are for satiation.
Most of the people on these pages did not attend culinary school, but they grew up in families where meals were a centerpiece of the household and ingredients mattered. Some have fashion backgrounds, others are natural arbiters of great style.
They all found their way to the food world organically, thanks to a desire to substantively connect with others. They are ambitious in their work pursuits because that’s what it takes to run a kitchen, big or small. But they are not bringing hardcore Carmy energy to their city-sized kitchenettes, nor does the dream of a Michelin star drive them. They aren’t in competition with each other. Quite the opposite. They work independently and occasionally in concentric circles to draw disparate groups together. They are creating expansive community experiences for those who want to partake. They are intrepid farmers’ market shoppers modernizing generational recipes for mass audiences and valuing food as a source that nourishes the body rather than something that merely weighs it down.
And they’re doing it with panache. It used to be that socialites or celebrities were party catnip; now, it’s food entrepreneurs, because fashion is deeply connected to culture and food is a global language. They simultaneously cater parties for brands while also being dressed by them.
You can find them all over the city: making dinner for a magazine crowd at a basketball court in Tompkins Square Park, providing edible installations at a fanciful Madison Avenue boutique, or hand-delivering a multi-tiered cake to a star-studded wedding. The joy is in the making and the splendor it provides to all.
NOOT SEEAR
blazer, pants, and shoes by PROENZA SCHOULER, necklace by CARTIER
NOOT SEEAR
Instagram: @noot.seear
In a YouTube video from 2022 that announced the launch of her culinary site, Nootritious, the model Noot Seear described her journey from being a 14-year-old fashion colt opening the Calvin Klein show in the Nineties and the typical tumult that followed (drugs and eating disorders) to how she came to reclaim her life and her health. She got her GED, attended cooking schools, and expanded her repertoire of plant-based recipes. These days you’re just as likely to find Seear scouring the farmers’ market for king oyster mushrooms as you are at a chic fashion party. “I want to work with innovative brands and good people doing good things,” she says.
What do you want people to know about you with regard to food?
My journey to a healthy place with food was a challenging one. I had to become a professional chef to unpack the mystery of healthy eating. Most people don’t need culinary school to improve their relationship with food, but many folks would benefit from a better understanding of what they are putting into their bodies. It’s important to understand that the ultimate answer to healthy living is to have a positive diet rather than viewing food as the enemy.
What do you make of the tired trope that food and fashion don’t go together?
Well, I was the stereotype of that image and lifestyle early in my modeling career, so I get where it comes from… and it’s so counterproductive. I am happier with my body and the way I look today than at any other time in my career, and I am eating in such a healthy way.
There are some interesting similarities between the fashion world and the culinary world. At the core, both industries are built around necessities—protection/shelter in the case of fashion, and sustenance in the case of culinary. It’s possible to build upon those necessities in ways that are artistic, cultural, fun, trendy, flashy, classic, etc. Both instances can lead to insecurities or empowerment, depending on how you use them.
Ultimately, fashion and food are parts of our everyday lives. They very much coexist in my world—and they should be for anyone who is seeking a healthy lifestyle.
ZAYNAB ISSA
coat by GUCCI, earrings, cuff, ring and bracelets by TIFFANY & CO.
ZAYNAB ISSA
Instagram: @zaynab_issa
Zaynab Issa is a content creator and recipe developer of East African–Indian descent with a stellar following that grew during her time as an associate food editor at Bon Appetit. On TikTok, she intersperses posts of delectable recipes like carrot cake (13.3 million views) with personal moments—such as a typical day during Ramadan and her beauty routine. That relatable balance keeps Issa’s 451,000 followers coming back for more.
What is your fashion/food history?
For the longest time I thought I wanted a career in fashion. I interned extensively in social media marketing, public relations, editorial, and styling to find my place in it.
I didn’t know careers in food outside restaurants existed in a real way, and my parents weren’t into the idea of culinary school. I went to business school per their preference and planned to intern my way into a career I was interested in.
I minored in art, and for my thesis project we were required to create a commentary on the political climate in America. This was back in 2020, so it wasn’t so different to what we’re experiencing now—read: polarized. I thought about the only thing I had ever known to bring people together, and that is food—a shared meal can mean an eventual shared understanding.
I ended up designing, writing, and later publishing a zine that further explored this idea while sharing and documenting old family recipes. I really pushed it on social media, where I had built up a bit of a following. That zine caught the eyes of some folks in the food media world, and the rest is history.
Do your food and fashion ethics ever overlap?
In true Gen Z fashion, I genuinely believe that if you’re not good, it’s hard to be good to others, so I’m motivated by feeling good. When it comes to food, that means eating well and cooking a lot, often with others. And when it comes to fashion, that means paying attention to the details and dressing in clothes that make me feel confident while trying to be mindful of my consumption.
ABENA ANIM-SOMUAH
dress and shoes by BOTTEGA VENETA, bracelet by CARTIER
ABENA ANIM-SOMUAH
Instagram: @abenaanimsomuah
In 2023, Abena Anim-Somuah received a “suspicious” DM from the James Beard Foundation. Four months into her gig as the host of the podcast The Future of Food Is You, platformed by the media company and women’s food and culture magazine Cherry Bombe, she received the Emerging Voice in Broadcast Media award. That recognition has propelled Anim-Somuah to tackle other projects on her to-do list. She is excited about highlighting stories in the food world relating to immigrants and immigrant culture. For now, you’ll find her touring Mexico City in Dôen dresses or writing articles for Food & Wine.
How did you get started in the food world?
My father is an agricultural economist who has spent his whole life creating equitable ways for people to be fed. And my mom is an incredibly passionate cook.
While working a stressful tech job in San Francisco, I started baking and posting on an Instagram account called @baking_beans. Around June 2020, during the Black Lives Matter movement, I was really sad. I kept seeing people wanting to support Black people but not sure how to do it. I thought of it as an opportunity to spread joy but not negate the importance of what had happened. I was inspired by [the comedian] Ziwe because on her show she would be like, “You have five Black friends,” so [on Instagram] I would do #FiveBlackBakers. My baking friend suggested that I reach out to celebrities in the food world. So I reached out to Ina Garten. Ina briefly followed me for six months, the best six months of my life.
Do you have any thoughts on a dream dinner party?
I think about this all the time. Obviously, Anthony Bourdain. He was a great conversationalist, willing to challenge you but also hear you out. Michelle Obama, I would love her complimenting me on anything I make. Definitely my parents. I have many best friends, so whoever responds first gets a seat. Judith Jones—many of the cookbooks that we read and consume wouldn’t have been possible without her telling the stories of people like Julia Child, Edna Lewis, and Madhur Jaffrey. Larry David would be a vibe. And we’d need a singer—Beyoncé or Adele, whoever picks up the phone.
WOLDY REYES
jacket, trousers, bag, and belt by JACQUEMUS
WOLDY REYES
Instagram: @woldykusina
“Cooking is one of my many passions, alongside fashion, design, and culture,” says Woldy Reyes, whose suave style influences the presentation of his dishes. His offerings are diverse—watch him go from butter sculptures to mango sticky rice ice cream sandwiches to traditional Kamayan dinners served outside during the salty summer evenings in the Rockaways. Since launching his namesake catering company Woldy Kusina, in 2016, Reyes has worked with Alaïa, Nordstrom, J.Crew, Birkenstock, Métier, Catbird, Giorgio Armani, and Saie.
How did Woldy Kusina come to be?
I moved to New York in 2010 and eventually landed an internship at Elle. After almost a year of interning, I was hired as a fashion assistant at Nylon. Following that, I worked for the brand 3.1 Phillip Lim while simultaneously assisting a stylist. During this time, I daydreamed about cooking for people and romanticized the idea of owning a restaurant. I started a catering company in 2016, catering for designers like Ulla Johnson, Khaite, and Christian Louboutin. A year later, I did a pop-up collaboration with Matchesfashion, and everything blossomed after that!
What drew you to cooking?
A lot stems from growing up in Walnut, a suburban neighborhood east of Los Angeles. I have a distinct memory of the day my twin brother and I accompanied our father on a trip to a local farm for a grim errand—picking out a goat that would go on to be butchered and handed back to us in a neatly wrapped package. Later, it would be simmered for hours with sautéed onions and a lot of garlic in a big pot in the backyard. I still remember the robust smell. My family was—and is—unapologetically Filipino, which still makes me smile when I think about it. The reward would come as we sat together, feasting on this decadent meal.
My other memory, by contrast, is spending time in the garden that belonged to my Lola, my grandmother. She was so proud of her garden. She’d go snip things and start cooking with them. Watching food go from ground to stove to plate left a powerful impression on me, and I see echoes of it today in my home garden.
MADELINE BACH
top by Puppets and Puppets, necklace by Tiffany & Co.
MADELINE BACH
Instagram: @frostedhag
If ever there were a baker whose goods belonged at the Mad Hatter’s tea party, it would be Madeline Bach. Under the moniker Frosted Hag, she creates giant, multi-tiered confections from her tiny kitchen on the Lower East Side. The cakes are typically adorned with all sorts of creatively sourced accoutrements:glittery cherries, a panoply of flowers, and pearlized candies. Since launching her brand in 2020, Bach has collaborated with MAC Cosmetics, Harry Styles, and High Snobiety x Marc Jacobs on a cover party reveal held during NYFW. . An artist by trade, she left her job as a gallerina earlier this year to pursue cake making full-time.
How did you come up with the moniker Frosted Hag?
I’ve always gone by @tiredhag on Instagram, which was what I called myself in college as a joke. I kept it as my personal handle because I love it. I tried brainstorming more “serious” names for my cake business, but my cakes always felt like such an extension of myself, very humorous and witchy, that Frosted Hag felt like the natural choice. When I think about forest hags in folklore, I see the style of my cakes lining up perfectly, but without any evil intentions.
What’s your fashion ethos?
Someone recently sent me an email from a fake address—shoutout to “Alex”—that said I needed to “drop my Jersey mall style.” I could not disagree more! The fashion ethos of Jersey Italians and the bliss that going to the mall brings are near and dear to my heart.
Who would make up your dream dinner party, and where/when would it occur?
There’s an abandoned theater on Canal Street that is stunning and exactly where I would want to throw a dinner party. My other dream would be to have a steak and seafood dinner party on a large sailboat with tons of pickles/pickled foods. Dessert cakes would float on a separate vessel alongside us until they were ready to be served. Or [the dinner party] could be by a waterfall. The dress code would be formal and on par with the SS24 Margiela show.
AIMEE FRANCE
jacket, dress, and shoes by GUCCI
AIMEE FRANCE
Instagram: @aimeefrance
TikTok fans may recognize Aimee France from her account @yungkombucha420, where her posts range from making homemade bourbon-infused ice cream to farmers’-market hauls to showing off her impressive collection of jorts. Her witty and acerbic how-to videos are not to be missed: Imagine a (Demna era) Balenciaga runway model speaking with the monotone lilt of Martha Stewart. But don’t let her deadpan delivery fool you—France’s (often sold out) cakes are artfully crafted creations of frosting-filled joy that initially found their audience online.
What are some of the projects that you’re most proud of so far?
I made a cake for Chloë Sevigny’s wedding [in 2022]. That was one of my first serious wedding cake commissions. I was only 21 and I was so nervous about delivering it. I took an Uber from Brooklyn to Connecticut and spent the majority of the day in the car.
Two years later I got an email from Moda Operandi to make a cake to celebrate Little Flower, Chloë’s fragrance collaboration with Régime des Fleurs. I truly felt honored to attend and make the cake for the party, and I even got to cut it!
I also made Sandy Liang’s wedding cake in May 2023. It was a triple chocolate cake that fed 160 people. That was the largest chocolate cake I ever made, and it was awesome.
Any food or fashion heroes that you’d like to give a shout-out to here?
Ina Garten. I love how she wears the same linen [shirt] every day and owns it in every possible color. She is the definition of “uniform.”
What is your fashion ethos?
I have always enjoyed putting together outfits, but to be completely honest I feel like I am not that creative when it comes to fashion. I usually find myself dressing for comfort, and I am a serious outfit repeater. I spent most of my early twenties working and teaching myself how to run a small business. I never really went out or lived the life of a typical 21-year-old. I made a lot of social sacrifices, but I think they have paid off in the long run.
TARA THOMAS
jacket and trousers by LOEWE, earrings by TORY BURCH, boots by COACH
TARA THOMAS
Instagram: @cheftarathomas
Growing up in Portland, Oregon, Tara Thomas says she alternated between watching MTV and the Food Network to fuel her developing interests in food and fashion. After studying civil engineering for a spell, she switched gears and became a chef, moving to New York in 2018. Since then, she has established her place in the social sphere as an in-demand organizer, consultant, and party invitee. Thomas is driven by the desire to eradicate food sovereignty, which has led her to oversee the implementation of a community garden and a community fridge in her Brooklyn neighborhood. Recently, she launched her food and hospitality business, Chaotic Abundance. Her extensive client list runs from Chanel to Sakara and Levi’s to Loro Piana. Hot tip: Don’t sleep on Thomas’s pop-ups, which often become fun little block parties.
How does community play a part in your work?
I love to eat, and all my besties love to eat. Community plays such an essential role in my work. I love creating meals for groups to break bread and connect. And I am creating content that connects a product to a delightful recipe. There can also be an excess of food, so tying in opportunities to give back is essential. I ensure no food goes to waste by crafting meals and putting any beautiful excess produce in my local community fridge. In 2023, I worked closely with One Love Community Fridge on a concept called the Living Fridge, which transformed a typical fridge into a system with growing live plants and pantry shelves.
What would your dream dinner party look like, and where/when would it occur?
My dream dinner party would begin at the end of summer—mid-September—at 5:00 p.m. at a garden with a conservatory for cocktails and snacks, taking in the last bits of the sunshine. Then we would enter the conservatory with vintage brick floors and walls lined with fruiting plants like tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, and melons, with a table decorated with salads from those plants and heavenly bread from the oven. My guest list would include all the angels featured on these pages, plus Edna Lewis, Grandma Jessie, Rihanna, Betty Davis, and so many people I can’t even name.
MARYAH ANANDA
top and skirt by JACQUEMUS, necklace, ring, and bracelets by TIFFANY & CO.
MARYAH ANANDA
Instagram: @maryahananda
Originally from Miami, Maryah Ananda first pursued a modeling career, which brought her to New York in 2020. During the downtime of the pandemic, she pursued her culinary interests and started posting recipes on Instagram. It wasn’t long before she developed a solid following, and the industry took note. Soon, she was just as busy going to events thrown by brands such as Stella McCartney, La DoubleJ, and Loro Piana as she was whipping up new healthy creations in her Brooklyn kitchen. Up next, Maryah is developing a communal event space and prep kitchen anchored in sustainability, community, and accessibility.
Most memorable projects to date?
The most memorable project I did was for Rococo Art Advisory, a NYC-based art advisory focused on the connection behind the transaction. The founder, Maria Vogel, established a membership club and Rococinco, a culinary experience celebrating five contemporary artists. Each rendition features five unique recipes inspired by the featured artists’ practices. Maria is so badass. When she asked me to participate, I was immediately in. The menu was inspired by the artists HyeGyeong Choi, Devin N. Morris, Madeline Peckenpaugh, Bony Ramirez, and Kenny Rivero. It was such a fun project because I went deep with research to make sure each artist felt represented through their dish. Some artists even mentioned they felt like they were eating their paintings. I can’t explain how beautiful it was to share that experience with them.
What do you make of the tired trope that food and fashion don’t go together?
The idea that food and fashion are singular narratives isn’t relevant anymore. There’s so much crossover between art, food, fashion, and architecture. It’s about opening your mind to something bigger than what’s in front of you and reimagining how food can hold space for different narratives. I love how Loewe, Jacquemus, and Puppets and Puppets showcase food as something elegant. It adds to a concept or storyline. I think nourishing yourself and your community while looking hot and feeling grounded and confident in your body is so chic and sexy.
ROMILLY NEWMAN
dress coat by DAVID KOMA, earrings, necklace, and ring by BVLGARI, shoes by CASADEI
ROMILLY NEWMAN
Instagram: @romillynewman
A phenom from the jump, Romilly Newman took over her family’s kitchen at age 10, even going as far as to prepare the big holiday dinners. Before long, there was a YouTube show, a cameo on Chopped, and an internship at Cherry Bombe as a teenager. A food stylist and chef who has been blessed by Martha Stewart, a fashion darling to brands like Dôen and Johanna Ortiz, and a woman who is methodically planning the layout of her new kitchen so that she can continue to be the consummate host, Romilly can do it all.
What’s your fashion/food history?
When I was young, I had a boundless curiosity about food and fashion. Whether it was trying on my mom’s clothes or exploring new foods, both were my primary sources of interest. I started a food blog when I was 11 called Little Girl in the Kitchen, which was followed by a series of YouTube videos under the same name. I’d wax poetic about different techniques I had learned from watching the Food Network while wearing ridiculous outfits.
How do food and fashion intersect for you?
I like to honor beautiful produce and keep things simple. At the same time, I’m all about punchy flavors and various textures and colors. When I create a dish, I try to build layers of depth and expression without feeling forced or overdone. I look to the past for inspiration, but I like to create something that’s my own. The same goes for fashion and putting together an outfit.
What projects are you most proud of so far?
I’m proud of a lot, but any time I can pull off something different and challenging, regardless of the scale or visibility, that brings me the most joy. I’ve loved working with clients like Longchamp, Ralph Lauren, and Savette in the fashion space and hope to do more.
What do you make of the tired trope that food and fashion don’t go together?
Taste is universal. I’m inspired by so many different aspects of taste, whether it’s food, art, design, fashion, or film. All are forms of self-expression and creativity.
