Icing on the cake 

Market editor Whitney Robinson one day stumbled upon the website for “I Dream of Cake”, Shinmin Li’s amazing cake shop in San Francisco, and knew immediately there was a CITY story waiting to be baked. Along with traditional cakes, Li’s beautifully crafted confections are often inspired by haute couture. What better way to show off the season’s latest luxury handbag offerings than with a special collaboration with Li for our Food issue? With a tight deadline approaching, Li spent nearly two straight weeks on the project, working between three and five days on each cake. Dwight Eschliman shot her creations in San Francisco, while Sarah Silver photographed the accompanying fashion component in New York. We wanted one shot, however, with the model and cake integrated, so we asked Li to bring the silver Louis Vuitton bag with her on an upcoming trip to New York. Of course, when she got to San Francisco International Airport, Homeland Security insisted that she open the bag, not believing for a second that it was made entirely out of flour, sugar, and (inside) red velvet goodness. She finally convinced them, and after the shoot, we discovered how sweet (and delicious) a Vuitton can truly be.