Chocolate couture graces Belgian catwalk

Catwalk models might not allow themselves to eat much of it, but they were wearing plenty when 13 outfits made of chocolate went on display in Belgium. The fashion parade was part of the annual Salon du Chocolat, which also features workshops and conferences on Belgian chocolate, which locals consider the best in the world. Belgian chocolatier Frederic Blondeel, voted Brussels' best in 2018 by French gastronomy guide Gault Millau, teamed up with a Peruvian designer to create a Cleopatra-inspired gown adorned in chocolate pieces. Some designers spent weeks sewing thousands of pieces of chocolate onto their dresses, while some gowns, such as one by chocolatier-designer duo Jean-Christophe Hubert and Giovanni Biasiolo, were made almost entirely from chocolate. 'There's steel and polystyrene but everything is coated in chocolate, with cocoa powder,' Hubert said. 'In this dress, there is more than 5 kilograms (11 pounds) of chocolate, more or less, and around 3 kilograms cocoa powder.' The high amount of cocoa powder created a dry chocolate, reducing the risk of it melting, Hubert said.