Australian Gourmet Traveller - (11)November 2019 (1)

InElegance, youwritethatChloéfounder

GabyAghion“launchedherfirstcollection

atCafédeFloreoverbreakfast...Atthe

time,servingfashionwithcroissantswas

unheardof.”Isthatsomethingyouthink

aboutwhenyou’rehavinga coffeeatthe

cafésinParis?I do.That’spartofthe

reasonwhya placelikeCafédeFloreis

fascinating.Thehistoryis solongand

somanyremarkablepeoplehavesat

therewitha glassofwineora plateof

cheese, and created something amazing.

What’sit liketolive-sketchDior’srunway

showinLondon?Terrifying,because

mostofthereallygoodillustrations

thatI do,I dointhestudiowithnoone

watching.Overtheyears,I’veworked

outhowtodoit live.I guessit’slikea

chefcookingonliveTV;I’veworked

outthatmaybea soufflé is not the best

thing to do.

WhatinspiredyourCoffeeGirlsseriesof

coffee-cupdrawings?Abouteightyears

ago,I hadthatfeelingweallsometimes

getona Mondaymorning:“Somuch

todo!”I rememberthinking,“WhatI

needis a reallygoodcoffee,andthen

I’llbeonmyway.”I drewhowI was

feelingonthecup:a girlwitha coffee

withsunglasseson.I postedit onsocial

media,andI hadthousandsof likes

within a really short time.

You’vesaidthatyouliketosearchfor

theperfectpastawhenyou’reinItaly.

Haveyoufoundit?ThelasttimeI was

inMilan,MartinaandI ategnocchi

withtrufflecheese.Neitherofuscould

evenspeak.Thatpastawas probably the

best I’ve ever had.●

MeganHessis theauthorof

Elegance:TheBeautyofFrench

Fashion(HardieGrantBooks,

$29.99,hbk).Seemoreofher

work at meganhess.com

INTERVIEW LEE TRAN LAM.

GOURMET TRAVELLER 39

How I eat