Dresses made of takeout bags and toothpicks? Restaurant biz high fashion hits the runway

Trotting out wearable forms of fruits, vegetables, forks, knives, cupcake liners and even bacon, the Greater Dallas Restaurant Association hosted the second annual Food in Fashion on Wednesday night to benefit culinary education programs in the Dallas Independent School District. 

Proceeds from the runway-style event benefited the Texas Restaurant Association Education Foundation and its Texas ProStart culinary career program. Organizers said the benefit netted about $22,000 for those programs.

The event matched 15 emerging designers with restaurants and suppliers to create fashions that volunteer models displayed on the catwalk set up in the middle of the host venue, 3015 at Trinity Groves. 

At least 10 percent of each fashion creation had to come out of the restaurant business, edible or not. 

The winning fashion was a bacon, ham and orange slice creation using products from the local Original Pancake House franchisee, down to a waffle purse. The outfit was created by Jean Estella Designs and modeled by Lily Washington.

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