So I have to make a cake in September for a Spanish high end fashion designer, they are gifting the cake to Spanish Vogue magazine. They came to me with some inspiration pictures, cakes made to look like a hatbox, with a shoebox or bag on it etc. Their budget is €1000 so it can be a pretty big cake with lots of leeway for shapes, sizes, carving etc.

Thing is, I don't want to really do the same old same old hatbox thing. I really like a design by Planet Cake which is like a dresser with fashion items on it/around it, but I don't want to just copy the idea.

Can you think of anything original I can do?? I am terrible at coming up with original ideas! The designer in question makes female clothing, doesn't do accessories, so I can't just plonk a Chanel bag and Louboutin shoes on a cake, it would be really wrong on many counts! They did say I could do a bag if I wanted, but it would have to be generic. His winter 2013 collection is really dark, hardly any colour, some splashes of red. I could maybe model some mannequins wearing some of his designs too. I have to include his logo somewhere, and I have to put a copy of Vogue on the cake/board too. I've googled "fashion cake" and other such terms, but I'm really not seeing anything inspirational. I'm stuck....!

Can you put the name of the designer? I worked in the fashion world for about 6 years.

I might be able to help you. That is a big order and congratulations!!!
 

I've sent you a message, I kind of don't want to say who it is on here publicly, sorry.

Ok so I'd look at his fall collection, he has lots of prints.

There is a mini dress that has an awesome print its yellow and black with a bit of the emerald color which is in right now. So you could do that print and a tier in emerald.

Then my next thought is that who ever asked it to be possibly a hat box or a shoe box...seems somewhat insulting. I mean to me it doesn't seem on the same level as high fashion. Unless he is a lover of hats and since they aren't in his collection I'm gonna say no. Lol From what I have seen of other fashion cakes done for Vogue. This makes me think they the non-cake people think its a good idea to do said cake.

I'd do a 3D wedding cake that was shaped uniquely.

Either off balance like topsy turvy but not that exactly or some carved shapes into the cake.
 

AIf the cake isn't for Chanel, don't put a Chanel bag on it! Did they give you any idea of what the cake is intended to celebrate? If it's a new collection, you don't want to put older designs on it.

My bad I looked at his website again and the fall collection was older..so true.So scratch what I said...Still go with fall but ask if they have a preview of it. IF the magazines in fall you want to do the closest collection. I'm surprised he still even has fall up on his website. He probably will post the new fall collection in the end of June.

These are the 2 photos his media relations company brought in:

This is the Planet Cake one:

They talking about his fall/winter runway models, which are really dark looking, not like the collection on his webpage. I definitely agree that whatever I do should be more geared to his own designs though...she said he doesn't do accessories but some of his models wore large hats on the runway. I think that's why she was talking about the hat box idea. But it seems a bit "overdone", although these kinds of cakes are very novel still here in Spain. Maybe I should just sketch her what she wants, and stop overthinking things!

And the Vogue Fashion Night Out, if you don't get it in your country/countries, is basically an evening/night where designer stores stay open later and often have free catering for shoppers, and discounts on their current collections.

AThis makes me think fabric swatches, sewing machine, needle & thread, pages of sketches, runway. Isn't there a fashion designer reality show? Maybe see if you can find it on Netflix and watch a couple episodes for inspiration.

How about the magazine idea they showed......that works well as an announcement theme, etc... It conveys what they want....a fashion night out. So with that in mind it makes me think about how I could incorporate both their magazine and the fashion designer.

Ideas:

Open magazine with the fashions walking up out of the magazine. Maybe a staircase coming out of the magazine a girl (not a lot of details, like a mannequin) wearing his clothes.

A cake (like a wedding cake) wrapped artistically in pages torn from the magazine (of his fashions). Then hand paint his designs like designers do (not photo realistic) on fondant.

Maybe some 3d words on your cake that represent fashion like 'Couture', 'Vogue', 'Fashion', 'Style'

AWhat about a shopping bag with his logo on the side and a copy of vogue sticking out the top? You could put some champagne flutes and canapés on the board.

Remember to keep their budget in mind, as they want a big cake, you don't want to give yourself too much work.

Sorry had to take the kids to the park. Ok I get it umm...I love where Stitches was going with ideas and I think that is a good road to travel. I mean the point is he is trying to get his name out there but he is also trying to gift them a cake. So you don't want it to be too one sided about him or it might look selfish??? Just a thought though might be off base.

What if you did a Past Present Future of Vogue. You could do 3 hat boxes each with a different print. His print would be the top box. The others would be iconic prints...you could even do the tops with the covers of Vogue from that pattern year. Have them somewhat off set so you could see the covers. If you really wanted you could have them scattered like stairs and underneath could be the letters of VOGUE. Not spelled out straight but Modern like. Over lapping on top of each other kind of thing...you get me Like the LO

                                        VE  you see all the time.

I don't know my brain is thinking...

Ok after reading his bio his family started making hats in the 19th century so I think hats are in.

Also I saw the prints for fall 2014 they are pretty black red and that somewhat cowhide print. I think there were some sequin stuff that looked cool. That would be great with a red lid on the hat box. Still didn't see many hats though.

ABolts of fabric, a dress form, sketches of designs. Sorry I don't have too many ideas but I just really hope you come back here and post a picture of the cake! Really cool and exciting. :)

Wow you guys have come up with lots of ideas, thank you! I need to draw up a couple of sketches for them - I bake and decorate about a 1000 times better than I sketch LOL. I will definitely post a pic when it's done. 

I did a retirement cake recently with the Planet cake design as inspiration. Here is what I came up with: Feel free to use any of the ideas I used! Also, I am sure you won't want to use the labels I places on the shoebox or bag ;)

Stitches his reps asked for a hat box as one of the ideas. I still think its weird since he isn't big into hats in his current collection. As far as the fall collection I saw it its gonna be tough its all black and red and a very few prints that are grey black and more marble looking. I kinda feel for her. lol...Its totally opposite his spring collection. I did some more research and he has been in Vogue quite a few times but so far not on the front cover.