The French Fashion Show That Has Models Dressed In Actual Chocolate

There is no bigger day for candy companies than Halloween, right? Well, it turns out that every year, at the same time that countless American children are headed out for a night of begging for treats, the French celebrate their sweet teeth with a fashion show. It is part of the annual Salon du Chocolat, which describes itself as "a unique global pageantry of chocolatiers, artisans, pastry chefs, experts, and businesses throughout the world who have one thing in common: their passion for all things chocolate."

To put these in less flowery terms, the Salon du Chocolat is a chocolatier's trade fair with an added element of style. The organization's website says there have been 224 Salon du Chocolat events to date, taking place in 32 countries and attracting 10.5 million attendees since the inaugural occasion in 1994. Their most notable events are the annual Salon du Chocolat New York each spring and Salon du Chocolat Paris each autumn. According to Confectionary Production, these events feature chocolate sculptures, educational exhibits, and live demonstrations by chocolatiers and pastry chefs, but nothing tops the extravagant fashion show.

"Chocolate fashion show" sounds like something straight from the dreams of Willy Wonka, but it is, in fact, exactly what it sounds like. According to Euronews, models walk the runway in traditional fashion week style, with the added twist that each and every outfit is adorned with chocolate in some form. They are born from an unusual pairing: collaboration between fashion designers and chocolatiers. Each show features a panel of judges with a mix of professional backgrounds, from chocolatiers to fashion designers to pastry chefs (via Salon du Chocolat).

As you might imagine, incorporating chocolate into clothing is not an easy thing to do. Chocolatier Hervé Traclet told Euronews that the biggest challenge is figuring out how to arrange the treat so that it compliments the model's movements and does not crack. The finished products achieve impressive levels of detail. However, Clémence Botino, who won Miss France in 2020, participated in the show and noted that the chocolate adds significant weight to the dress. We're just impressed she could resist the urge to eat it.