Connect with us

Fashion

The Creator of L.A.’s Favorite Jelly Cakes Is All About Integrating Fashion and Food

Inspired by the Sanrio era and color blocking from Marni and Jil Sander, Lexie Park is a home cook turned Instagram sensation with her jelly cake company, Nünchi….

Taking inspiration from “the Sanrio era, being a ’90s baby,” and “color blocking from Marni and Jil Sander,” Park worked with a friend who is a pastry chef to learn the proper technique for jelly cakes, such as suspending objects within the substance. “Initially, I didn’t know I was going to be making edible cakes,” she says. “I thought at first I just wanted this to be more of an art project. I still haven’t even done all the things I want to do…I’m really into textures, especially just working in fashion, playing with fabrics all the time. Jelly just seemed like a cool substance to start with.”

Those textures have resulted in endless regrams, and captured the attention of brands. Park was recently commissioned to make cakes for Nike, as well as the shaving company Billie, and has more top secret fashion collaborations coming before the end of the year. She also just launched her first dessert available at a restaurant. The aforementioned violet-blue corn on the cob is made of almond jelly sitting in a chicha morada syrup, a popular Peruvian beverage made from purple corn. It will be available at Opening Ceremony Founder Humberto Leon’s new restaurant, Chifa.

pJelly corn for Chifa.p

Jelly corn for Chifa.

The Creator of L.A.s Favorite Jelly Cakes Is All About Integrating Fashion and Food

Photo: Courtesy of Nünchi

The Chifa collaboration was inspired by her first jelly corns, which she makes in a cheerful yellow. “Koreans are really obsessed with corn. It’s a cultural thing,” she says with a laugh. “I found a mold and I was like, ‘oh my God, I have to make it.’ I try to tie everything back to my culture.”

Park, who started Nünchi in July 2019, now makes about 200 cakes a month in her home kitchen, supplying both a la carte and custom orders. Each one is completely different, based on what Park has available and her inspiration. She sources local and fresh ingredients from her farmer’s market in Santa Monica or Hollywood. “Some people want the same thing, over and over again,” she explains. “I try to tell them, I don’t really want to be making the same cakes over and over again. But what’s cool is they’ll tell me, it’s for this person and here’s their Instagram, and that will kind of spawn something and I’ll kind of go off of that. I like making each cake pretty personal for who’s eating it.”

Advertisement

When she’s not baking cakes, Park is working on expanding the Nünchi brand, launching her own home goods collection and merch in the next month or so. She’ll be selling aprons, lazy susans and more. She’s also working hard to have her cakes available beyond the west coast, and hopes to be able to ship from New York in the near future. Her main mission? “I want to integrate fashion and food continuously.”

Advertisement
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

News

Nike Zoom Hyperflight “Safari” Official Images Reveal Bold Print Ahead of Holiday Release

nike-hyperflight

The Nike Zoom Hyperflight is getting a bold new look, with the “Safari” colorway coming soon. We have official photos of the unique design for a closer look. The sneaker sports bright orange accents and a translucent outsold, and is expected to arrive during the holiday season at a retail price of $190.

The new version is inspired by the Safari print that is familiar from the Air Safari. That pattern covers most of the Hyperflight’s soft, molded upper, giving the basketball shoe a unique look compared with some of the model’s other recent colorways. Together, the unusual texture and pattern make the silhouette feel especially suited to the adventurous design.

The primary contrast across the shoe is orange, used in the trim and other details. The bright color pops against the speckled base without being overwhelming. Black is also present in the design, on the glossy support structure around the midfoot and the soft leather collar. The look is topped off with a see-through outsole that adds another visual element to the overall color scheme.

The sneaker will drop with style code IZ2573-010 and is expected in men’s sizing. With a retail price tag of $190, Nike, Foot Locker, and Sheikh are among the expected retailers. As for when you can expect it, it’s likely to be the holiday season, though we don’t have a solid release date.

The “Safari” colorway comes amid a busy period for the Zoom Hyperflight. This year, Nike has revived the model in several colors, bringing a new wave of attention to the silhouette through a series of releases. Another forthcoming option is the vibrant “Green Apple” pair, also scheduled for a holiday season release.

Advertisement

The Hyperflight’s history also provides context for the latest return. Jason Williams wore the model in the early 2000s, linking it to a memorable era for the sneaker. That association also helps explain why new colorways can generate excitement beyond the shoe’s look, especially for those who remember it from its previous run.

The Safari design is a definitive statement that does not change the characteristic shape of the Hyperflight. Instead, it uses the familiar silhouette as a canvas for a pattern that has already become recognizable through another Nike model. The orange accents provide a bright contrast, while the black midfoot structure and collar balance it out.

Now that official images have surfaced, sneaker fans have a clearer idea of what to expect from the holiday release. The $190 price, style code, and expected retail partners have also been identified, but a specific launch date has not been confirmed.

For Nike, the “Safari” is another way to bring attention back to the Zoom Hyperflight. One of its more distinctive new looks is this returning model, featuring speckled print, orange trim, black support details, and an icy-looking translucent outsole.

Advertisement
Continue Reading

News

Lil Yachty Previews Another Nike Air Force 1 Mid, This Time With Blue and Orange Stitching

lil-yachty

Lil Yachty has added another eye-catching design to his ever-growing collection of Nike US Force 1 Mids, this time going for a cleaner white look accented by blue and orange stitching. The rapper’s latest take on the shoe keeps the familiar silhouette. Still, it uses contrasting details to give the shoe its own identity, something the artist is known for, showing off a steady run of variations on the silhouette.

 

Dubbed the “White Contrast Stitch,” the pair features white leather across most of the upper. Rather than altering the classic Air Force 1 Mid profile or incorporating a strange material, the design uses stitching to separate the design visually. Blue stitching embellishes the leather panels, and each side of the shoe’s Swoosh is lined with orange.

 

The combo adds a subtle but noticeable splash of color to the mostly white sneaker. It’s a more muted take than some of the more adventurous pairs Yachty has shown recently, so this version feels like the more no-nonsense option in his growing collection.

Advertisement

 

The new design adds to the long list of Air Force 1 Mid looks associated with the rapper this year. Earlier previews have featured a stars-and-stripes pair, an orange version with black stars, and a yellow colorway tied to ComplexCon. Each has put a different spin on the familiar silhouette, helping make Yachty’s run of designs a continuing talking point among sneaker watchers.

 

Earlier this year, another pair of the shoes, this time with blue and red detailing and thick white stitching, was also teased. That version is expected to launch around the holidays, but the details provided don’t confirm whether it will launch alongside the recently unveiled white one.

 

Advertisement

Some questions remain unanswered about the “White Contrast Stitch” design. Nike has not confirmed any price, style code, or even whether the sneaker will be released to the public. The design has drawn attention through its online appearance and Yachty’s preview, but neither sets a launch date nor guarantees consumers can buy it.

 

That anticipation makes the latest reveal more of a first look than a proper release announcement. The white leather upper and blue-and-orange stitching are on display, but key retail details remain unknown. For now, there is no confirmed timeline for when the pair might hit stores, or if it will be offered beyond the preview.

 

Still, the design adds another variation to a collection that has featured a wide variety of colors and details. The white base makes this one more subtle, while the contrast stitching keeps it from being a straight-up all-white release.

Advertisement

 

Yachty’s latest preview continues his ongoing relationship with the silhouette, with several other Air Force 1 Mid designs already shown this year. It’s not clear if the “White Contrast Stitch” pair will ever make it to the light of day, but it’s definitely added another distinct look to his growing collection.

Continue Reading

Video Of The Week

Trending