AUBREY ABOUT TOWN

Life in Fashion

BY AUBREY BREWSTER

FOR MANY (AND I SPEAK FOR MYSELF, TOO), FASHION IS A MEANS of expression. So much can be conveyed with what you wear and how one projects himself or herself. Since childhood, I have used fashion to both project my feelings and to hide my insecurities. Whatever the case may be, I have always subscribed to the belief that, no matter what, you should put an effort in appearance.

Though my style is my own, through the years I’ve taken note and inspiration from those I consider my own personal icons in not just looks and appearance, but in the way I walk through life. These icons exhibit a style, grace, and attitude made them … well … iconic to me. As Haute Living, San Francisco celebrates its fashion issue, I’m overjoyed to share with you what motivates my style and cannot help but to celebrate and share my affections for some of those who inspired some of my most talked-about looks.

As a kid, the little fashionisto within would daydream about the glam-rock imagery of the generation before me. David Bowie was a god, and I lived for the visual presentation as his alter ego, Ziggy Stardust. He gave permission to be who you are. His androgynous look continued even when he hung up the lightning bolt for his preppy, new wave image in the mid to late eighties. He exuded class, glamor, and chivalry. To this day whenever I wear bold colors, I’m reminded of him. His death back in 2016 hit me hard. I recently found a lavender and brown Valentino outfit that somehow reminded me of both the Ziggy and Bowie personas merged into one. From time-to-time, I check in on his equally exquisite widow, supermodel Iman, through her social media posts just to see how she’s doing, as if channeling him.

Visionary Pierpaolo Piccioli

Creative director of Valentino, the 2018 and 2022 Fashion Awards’ designer of the Year, and father of three, Pierpaolo Piccioli’s casually confident aura is rich and chic without pretention. Often garbed in all black and smoking a cigarette in typical Italian form, Pierpaolo’s the sort of man who walks into a room and you can’t help but want to know more about him.

My relationship as a client with Maison Valentino goes back two decades before Pierpaolo joined Valentino back in 2008, when he and Maria Grazia Chiuri jointly took the reins as co-creative directors. (Chiuri left the fashion house in 2016 and is now the creative director for Christian Dior, which is a amusing coincidence, considering that if I’m not in Valentino, I could be found wearing Dior. I’m in Dior as I type this.) Piccioli’s influence on Valentino could be argued as some of the house’s most innovative years, bringing whimsy, a youthful edge, and much success to the brand.

Through Piccioli’s visionary efforts, Valentino became the first luxury brand to partner with the Pantone Color Institute™ to brand its signature Pink PP hue, with fall and winter 2022–2023 being the first collection all in the vivid pink. Naturally, I had to have a Pink PP coat! Pierpaolo’s personal style of polished avant garde casual with sexy ruggedness resonates with me. I’m not one to copy someone’s look, but when I saw him in the UFO overcoat from Valentino’s Undercover collection (fall/winter 2019), the kind folks at Valentino San Francisco moved heaven and earth to find the last one!

Wilkes Bashford

I could not possibly write about fashion icons (especially as a native San Franciscan) without mentioning my friend, the late, great, and debonaire Wilkes Bashford. There have been moments throughout history when dynamic, charismatic, above-average, even divinely blessed individuals are born. They contain a golden aura and radiate love, elegance, and grace. These highly dynamic personalities move to the beats of their own drums, and others can’t help but dance with them: that was Wilkes Bashford.

It wasn’t necessarily Bashford’s unabashedly elegant San Francisco style that inspired me. We all know he exuded elegance or, as he would say, “chic as shit” (you know me, suits, no matter how beautiful, have never quite been my thing … yet), but it was his humor, grace, and class par excellence that influenced me greatly.

One standout memory from 2015 happened at my chinoiseriethemed birthday party at the now-defunct Crystal Jade Jiang Nan restaurant (currently Harborview Restaurant) in San Francisco. He had just arrived, and together, we worked the room. We inadvertently crashed a group of ladies gossiping about another guest at the party. These garrulous women turned to me and Wilkes to include us in their chatter. Without skipping a beat, Wilkes looked them in the eyes and said, “You all look lovely this evening. It was a pleasure to meet you.” He then gripped me gently by the arm and led me away. It was the classiest move I ever witnessed.

I learned in that moment that the most fashionable accessory one can have is grace. Wilkes was so kind and met every day with an infectiously positive attitude. The inside of Bashford’s trademark bluelensed eyeglasses was pink. So, he literally saw life through rose-colored glasses, a metaphor to his beautiful existence.

Though these fathers of fashion have influenced aspects of my style, how I carry myself, and the way in which I convey emotion, ultimately one’s personal style should come from within and stand out from the masses, making you unique and true to you. To quote Pierpaolo Piccioli, “You are more special if you are different from the others.” And that works for me.

CORRECTION: In the last issue of Haute Living in the article “An Enchanting Dinner with Libertine,” I inadvertently listed the wrong name in the photo caption of Karen Kubin and Mark Sullivan and misspelled her name. I’d like to take a moment to extend to Karen my sincere apologies with the correct caption.

If using vanilla bean paste or extract, skip to step 2. Run a paring knife down a vanilla bean vertically to split it. Place the split vanilla bean seed side up on the counter, and with the back of the paring knife, scrape down from one end to the other to scrape out seeds. Repeat with the other half.

1. In a medium size bowl, whisk together egg yolks and sugar until the sugar has dissolved and is fluffy and pale yellow. Set aside

2. In a large saucepan, whisk together milk, water, and cornstarch.

3. Place over medium-high heat and stir in vanilla bean and pods.

4. Stirring constantly, bring the mixture to a boil, then turn down the heat to medium. Continue to stir for five minutes or until thickened and the mixture coats the back of a spoon.

5. Remove from heat, discard vanilla pod (save it for vanilla sugar in the notes below). Quickly whisk 1 cup of the hot milk mixture into the egg yolk mixture (this will temper the eggs before adding to hot mixture).

6. Add the yolk mixture to the saucepan with the remaining hot milk mixture and whisk quickly so the egg yolks do not scramble.

7. Continue to cook over medium heat for eight minutes or until the crème pâtissière has the consistency of a soft custard.

8. Remove from heat and transfer to a bowl. Stir in the cubed butter (if using vanilla bean paste or extract, add it here) until melted and combined. Cover the pastry cream with plastic wrap and allow to cool completely.

9. For extra smooth pastry cream, press threw a sieve after it has cooled.

10. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for four hours or overnight.

AUBREY’S CHOCOLATE ÉCLAIRS

A quintessentially French original and the most fashionable of all pastries, these delectable classic pastries are easy to make and take not much more effort than cupcakes with twice the elegance. I broke down the steps into several small ones to simplify the process. I find it easier if I measure out the ingredients and have everything ready. Just trust the process, and you’ll be enjoying these chic and iconic French classics in no time.

Ingredients

CRÈME PÂTISSIÈRE (PASTRY CREAM)

~ 4 cups whole milk

~ 1 cup granulated sugar

~ 6 extra large egg yolks

~ ¼ cup cornstarch

~ 3 tablespoons butter, cut into cubes

~ 1 whole vanilla bean or 1½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract

PÂTÉ CHOUX (CHOUX PASTE)

~ 1¼ cups all-purpose flour (149g)

~ 4 extra large eggs (room temperature)

~ 1 cup water (227g)

~ 8 tablespoons salted butter (113g)

~ 4 teaspons granulated sugar

Instructions

11. Transfer crème pâtissière to a piping bag outfitted with a small 1/8-inch round tip or filling tip. Keep refrigerated until ready to fill éclairs.

2. PREPARE PÂTÉ CHOUX

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Line two 12-inch by 17-inch (two half-sheet) baking pans with silicone baking mats or parchment paper and set aside.

3. In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, bring water, salted butter, and sugar (or salt, if making savory) just to a boil.

4. Remove from heat and add flour all at once.

5. Vigorously mix with a wooden spoon until the flour is fully incorporated and the dough forms a ball.

6. Return to medium-high heat and stir constantly for 90 seconds until the ball loosens slightly and begins to take on a satiny gloss.

7. Remove from heat and stir occasionally, pressing the dough into the sides of the saucepan until the dough is no longer hot and is just warm to the touch.

8. Transfer the warm dough to the bowl of a standing mixer outfitted with the paddle attachment.

9. Turn the mixer to medium and add eggs one at a time, beating to fully incorporate between each egg.

10. Beat two minutes longer after the last egg has been incorporated.

11. Transfer the dough to a large piping bag outfitted with a ½-inch round pastry tip (pictured above) or a ½-inch star tip. Tighten the bag and use a twist tie to secure the opening.

3. FORM AND BAKE ÉCLAIRS

1. Pipe the pâté choux onto the two lined baking pans. Each sheet pan should hold 10 3-inch piped lines for small 4-inch éclairs.

2. To pipe lines for éclairs, hold the pastry bag at a 45-degree angle. Gently squeeze a ¾-ich by 3-inch line, pulling up into a little “tail” while releasing pressure. Moisten a fingertip with water and gently press the tail in to smooth it out. Repeat to pipe two columns of five 3-inch horizontal lines spaced two inches apart on each baking sheet.

3. Bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 12 minutes or until a crust forms and they begin to puff. While keeping the oven door open for as little time as possible, quickly pierce one small hole in each éclair with a wooden skewer or toothpick. This little hole will allow excess steam to release while allowing it enough steam to puff further. Close oven door and bake 12 minutes longer until lightly golden brown.

4. Remove from the oven and allow the pastries to rest on the sheet pan for five minutes. Rotate each éclair on to its side and allow to cool completely to assure they keep their shape. Repeat with another sheet pan.

4. PREPARE THE CHOCOLATE GANACHE

1. Pour heavy whipping cream into a microwave safe bowl and microwave on high for 90 seconds (making sure not to scorch the cream).

2. Place chocolate morsels in a medium size bowl, cover with the hot cream, and stir until chocolate has dissolved and the ganache is streak-free and glossy.

3. Allow to cool while you fill the éclairs, giving it a stir from time to time. It will thicken as it stands (about 40 minutes). If it thickens to much before you have time to dip the éclairs, remelt it in microwave in 10 second intervals, giving a good stir in between.

CHOCOLATE GANACHE

~ 12 ounces semisweet chocolate morsels

~ 1¼ cups heavy whipping cream

5. FILL THE ÉCLAIRS

1. Hold a pâté choux in the palm of your impeccably clean hand. With the other hand, hold the pastry bag filled with pastry cream by the base, making sure to tighten the bag by twisting base.

2. Gently press the pastry bag tip into the little hole you created with a skewer when they were baking. Give the pastry bag a gentle squeeze to fill éclair. You will feel a little resistance when éclair has filled. Wipe off the bit of pastry cream from the hole.

3. Place the filled éclair onto a sheet pan. Repeat until all 20 éclairs are filled.

4. Refrigerate filled éclairs for 30 minutes to chill.

6. DIP ÉCLAIRS IN CHOCOLATE GANACHE

1. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

2. Holding the éclair by the sides, dip the “hole side” into ganache halfway to coat the top.

3. Place dipped éclair onto lined sheet pan, ganache side up. Repeat with remaining éclairs. If you wish, sprinkle the tops with rainbow sprinkles at this time.

4. Refrigerate 30 minutes longer to set the ganache. Repeat the dipping process to double coat the éclairs.

5. Chill for 3 hours or overnight.

6. Serve chilled.

Recipe Notes

For best results, be sure that your eggs are fresh, extra-large or jumbo, and at room temperature. Try adding ½ cup of flaked coconut to the prepared crème pâtissière for coconut éclairs, and sprinkle the tops with more coconut. Or fold in ½ cup of melted chocolate for chocolate crème pâtissière. If you don’t care for chocolate, a dusting of confectioners’ sugar on top is all it needs.

Dr. Karen Horton is an internationally Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon in San Francisco, a fitness enthusiast, proud Mom to fraternal twin girls, and devoted wife of over 26 years. Hailing from Toronto, Canada, “Dr. Karen” relocated to San Francisco in 2005 for her final year of surgical specialty training. A surgeon’s daughter, she is proud to have built a successful women-focused boutique private practice in Pacific Heights. Featuring a brand new Quad A-certified fully equipped operating room, Dr. Horton offers her patients the highest level of aesthetic care, both surgical and non-surgical, in a modern, bright and discrete setting. She considers it an honor and a privilege to care for her patients! To learn more about Dr. Horton, visit www. drkarenhorton.com and follow her on social at @drkarenhorton.