Chocolate Superheroes At Chocolate Fest

It’s nearly every woman’s dream to be swathed in chocolate, and the fantasy was fulfilled for some lucky models dressed as chocolate superheroes in New York. Lara Croft, Bat Girl, Poison Ivy, Dark Phoenix, Storm from the X-Men, Wonder Woman, and a warrior princess among others walked the catwalk dressed in the finest of designer chocolate.

“Batgirl” by Michael Plosky & Martin Howard. Photo Gothamist


The 3-day edible chocolate superhero fashion extravaganza featured models dressed very carefully in their chocolate attire, created by chocolatiers and pastry chefs for the catwalk show on the Hudson River.

Nearly everything the models wore was edible, and the chance for wardrobe malfunction was high.
“Barbella” by Gregory Gale & Richard Capizzi & Grand Marnier. Photo Gothamist


“Urban Super-hero” by Brian Bustos & Steve Evetts. Photo Gothamist

“Ironman” by Faith Drobin and Michelle Tampakis. Photo Gothamist

Narciso Rodriguez, who designed Michelle Obama’s red-and-black election-night dress, worked with chocolatier Jacques Torres to create Chocolate Bar-Ton — a superhero weightlifter outfit, complete with large chocolate dumbbells. Even Iron Man made his appearance.

Storm’s headpiece of Belgian and French chocolate weighed nearly 10 pounds, with chocolate spikes in the vein of a Manhattan skyline. Her outfit was 40% chocolate — a satin cape covered with 100 chocolate rings, a three-layer chocolate corset, a chocolate belt, and chocolate boots.

Barbarella’s chocolate gun shot Grand Marnier, while Lara Croft got smothered in Valrhona chocolate — complete in a chocolate bikini top and chocolate hotpants, with a chocolate holster and guns.

“Black Phoenix (X-Men)” by Kit Scarbo, Fritz Knipschildt & Torben Bang.
Photo Gothamist

“Villain to Mother Nature (Oil Spill)” by Renee Masoomian & Vedika Webb.
Photo Gothamist

“Wonder Woman” by Jack Mackenroth & Zac Young. Photo Gothamist

A perfect replica of the brown leather outfit worn by “Xena the Warrior Princess” sported a 15 pound headpiece dripping in chocolate coins.

Bat Girl was basted in a chocolate bodice with large chocolate wings painted with the classic comic-book words ‘Kapow’ and ‘Bang.’

The warrior princess costume was made entirely of French chocolate — parts of which took 120 hours to make — designed by Joelle Mahoney of the famous New York chocolatier Chocolaterie Maya

“Sedusa” by Esther Nash & Lauri Ditunno. Photo Gothamist

“Sedusa” by Esther Nash & Lauri Ditunno. Photo Gothamist

Sedusa’s boot was edible. Photo Gothamist

The edible catwalk extravaganza launches the annual New York Chocolate Show, an event where 60 chocolatiers offer free tastings and professional demonstrations of chocolate recipes. There are also culinary demonstrations being taught all weekend by pastry masters like Colleen Grapes of Red Cat and Martin Howard of Brasserie 8 1/2.

Sylvie Douce and her husband Francois Jeantet first organized the show in France but soon moved to New York to attract a global audience.

“I decided to found this show with Francois, my husband, my ‘chocolate lover,’ because everybody eats chocolate in the world and chocolate makes you happy.” Sylvie said.

“It’s like your fantasy show.” said Jackie Gordon, owner of Divalicious Chocolates. “You go in and there’s chocolate, chocolate everywhere.”

“Lara Croft (Tomb Raider)” by Derek Poirier for Valrhona. Photos Telegraph