This week, the James Beard Foundation held its annual awards ceremonies honoring restaurants and chefs, and other hospitality industry professionals. Although the winners have been announced — and are still garnering a wide range of strong feelings — the awards were just the tip of the iceberg at the event. This year's Beards Awards definitely highlighted a lot of exceptional fashion and styling decisions, however, the resounding show stealer wasn't a chef, cook, or restaurant group; it was an octopus. To find out more about the food-themed fashion accessory that left fashionable diners floored, Eater spoke with Mayumu cookbook author Abi Balingit, who took home the 2024 James Beard Emerging Voice Award in Books. |
Balingit: I knew people would be dressed up in some capacity, but I wasn't sure just how much. So, I went to Depop and Etsy, platforms I love going to because it's so fun finding vintage, upcycled, and handmade pieces. I feel like it's so exciting to discover new artists that are making handmade bonnets out of felt, chainmail, and tulle. So, when I saw the octopus hat on Rae Swon's Instagram, I knew I'd found something special. I'm not a stranger to really wild hats, and I am so fascinated by needle felting that it felt unreal. They have swan hats and possum bags that are so realistic. It's handmade but not custom-made solely for me. It's the kind of style that molds to your head since it is made of a felt material. This is embarrassing. [Laughs] I'm going behind the veil here, but I'm really awkward with my body, so I really had to practice how I would handle wearing the hat and moving in the ways I might need to if I were to win, which was still so uncertain in the moment. I spent time laughing at myself and my boyfriend while I experimented with having someone else place a medal around my neck without having the octopus fall off onstage. But after I received the award, a lot of people would come up to me saying that they loved my hat before saying congratulations about the award. [Laughs] |
The other stars of the show? Two pups, named Gia and Pepe, who walked the red carpet alongside Art Smith (right) and husband Jesus Salgueiro (left). | Barry Brecheisen |
Later that evening, I was at an afterparty at Esme when I was approached by a photographer named Paul Octavious who asked me to pose with it, saying it caught their eye. Seeing the images on Instagram later felt like a nice way to top off the journey of writing this cookbook. It felt like planning a wedding, but it's not just my wedding. It's been overwhelming for me because I'm just one person among so many talented bakers and authors. Meeting so many Filipino chefs and bakers and coffee shop owners who have encouraged me along the way was a reminder that our community is just so strong. I'm overwhelmed by all of the supportive messages that have been coming in — both about the book and the octopus that topped off an amazing celebration. | Watch our James Beard Award show recap: |
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