It was Food Network meets Project Runway at Monday night’s Sweet Charity event at the Mandarin Oriental. Benefiting the Heart of America Foundation, which provides books to at-risk children, the annual fashion show presented outfits made from candy and chocolate on the runway, this year under a fairy-tale theme (think Tinker Bell and Alice in Wonderland).
Some of the models—including wives of Washington Wizards players and America’s Next Top Model's Saleisha Stowers—wore chocolate from head to toe and had to tread carefully on the runway. In order to keep the chocolate from melting, the staging area was kept at a chilly 50 degrees. Another precautionary tactic: covering the ballroom’s floor in plastic, as the 15 participating chefs-turned-fashion designers (including Aron Weber of the Fairmont Washington and Shaun McCarthy of Brasserie Beck) spent four hours before the show, with gaggles of assistants, perfecting their chocolaty looks.“[Chocolate and confectionery company] Albert Uster Imports, our cohost, really sees food as art,” said Michelle Mobley, director of special projects for Heart of America. “We wanted the general public to know the abilities that chefs and chocolatiers really have."
In addition to the fashion show, the chefs and 26 additional restaurants and catering companies set up tasting stations outside of the ballroom, offering an array of desserts, such as pineapple upside-down cake from the Park Hyatt Washington and Blue Duck Tavern, an Elvis-inspired pie of peanut butter and banana from Overwood Grill in Alexandria, and chocolate peanut-butter crunch cake with peanut brittle from BlackSalt.
In between bites, the 900 guests (up from the 250 count of three years ago) could peruse the silent auction or relax in the upstairs Chocolate Lounge, where TVs screened the fashion show. Those suffering from sugar overload could also take a break, nibbling on Cinco de Mayo-inspired cuisine from Whole Foods and mini steak sandwiches from Ruth’s Chris Steak House.
Hosted by ABC 7's Leon Harris, the evening's program, which began at 8 p.m., included a live auction, a recap of the services Heart of America offers, and the 25-minute runway show.
Some of the models—including wives of Washington Wizards players and America’s Next Top Model's Saleisha Stowers—wore chocolate from head to toe and had to tread carefully on the runway. In order to keep the chocolate from melting, the staging area was kept at a chilly 50 degrees. Another precautionary tactic: covering the ballroom’s floor in plastic, as the 15 participating chefs-turned-fashion designers (including Aron Weber of the Fairmont Washington and Shaun McCarthy of Brasserie Beck) spent four hours before the show, with gaggles of assistants, perfecting their chocolaty looks.“[Chocolate and confectionery company] Albert Uster Imports, our cohost, really sees food as art,” said Michelle Mobley, director of special projects for Heart of America. “We wanted the general public to know the abilities that chefs and chocolatiers really have."
In addition to the fashion show, the chefs and 26 additional restaurants and catering companies set up tasting stations outside of the ballroom, offering an array of desserts, such as pineapple upside-down cake from the Park Hyatt Washington and Blue Duck Tavern, an Elvis-inspired pie of peanut butter and banana from Overwood Grill in Alexandria, and chocolate peanut-butter crunch cake with peanut brittle from BlackSalt.
In between bites, the 900 guests (up from the 250 count of three years ago) could peruse the silent auction or relax in the upstairs Chocolate Lounge, where TVs screened the fashion show. Those suffering from sugar overload could also take a break, nibbling on Cinco de Mayo-inspired cuisine from Whole Foods and mini steak sandwiches from Ruth’s Chris Steak House.
Hosted by ABC 7's Leon Harris, the evening's program, which began at 8 p.m., included a live auction, a recap of the services Heart of America offers, and the 25-minute runway show.
Models walked the runway in confectionary outfits.
Photo: Jay Moore
Eric Johnson of Krishon Chocolates outfitted the NBA wives as chocolate and gold-dust pixies.
Photo: Adam Clarke
Event cohost Albert Uster Imports outfitted Kate Michael—or Miss D.C. 2006—as Miss Sweet Charity, with models dressed as the Evil Queen (by David Nolan of the Ritz-Carlton Tysons Corner) and Tinker Bell (by Jerome Colin of Ici Urban Bistro) strutting behind.
Photo: Jay Moore
Vedika Webb of Philadelphia's Lotus Cake Studio put the finishing touches on her Little Red Riding Hood costume.
Photo: Betsy Spruill
Norman Davis of the Sweet Life cakery in Annandale, Virginia, offered sweets in the upstairs chocolate lounge.
Photo: Adam Clarke
