Freyja presents a taste of fashion, teaming up with designers Strateas Carlucci for Melbourne Fashion Week
In a bold collaboration between brilliant artistic minds, Freyja and Melbourne fashion label Strateas Carlucci have partnered for Melbourne Fashion Week. Inspired by Strateas Carlucci’s Estrange collection, the one-of-a-kind menu blends haute couture with haute cuisine for a sensory, avant-garde experience, available weeklong during Melbourne Fashion Week, with an exclusive event on Thursday, 24 October.
Freyja, located within Melbourne’s heritage-listed Olderfleet building on Collins Street, is one of Florence Guild’s curated spaces. It is led by Executive Chef Jae Bang, who brings his Michelin-starred pedigree and over 15 years of experience in global haute cuisine to Melbourne. Bang is known for his creative culinary techniques, using fermentation and preservation with locally farmed and foraged ingredients to craft unique dishes that blend nature and time.
Executive Chef Jae Bang speaks on how Strateas Carlucci’s designs also reflect his approach to cooking.
“I’ve always been drawn to black clothing, and Strateas Carlucci’s designs resonate with me because they appear so simple at first glance, yet reveal intricate details and layers as you get closer. That’s how I approach my cooking—the dishes may seem straightforward, but there’s a deep, detailed process behind every ingredient. This collaboration has been such an enjoyable experience, with our creative minds coming together to create something truly unique, with our dessert and cocktail.”
Strateas Carlucci’s Estrange collection, created by Peter Strateas and Mario-Luca Carlucci, delves into the interplay of beauty and pain, joy and sorrow, self and world. The Estrange dessert and cocktail created visually and sensorially mirror the collection’s themes of self-detachment and the delicate balance between pleasure and pain.
At first glance, Estrange, The Dessert (smoked milk ice cream, preserved apricot, pistachio, honey, rosemary) is a visually striking monochromatic dish, with a bold black crisp hiding the layers beneath—a nod to the mysterious designs of Strateas Carlucci. Beneath, a mix of unexpected flavours and textures mirrors the collection’s emotional depth. The coconut twill’s rough texture represents their layered textiles, while calendula flower petals represent the collection’s floral design. Smoked milk ice cream contrasts its intense aroma with a smooth texture and rosemary’s subtle, herbal note. Preserved apricot adds brightness and caramelised honeycomb with pistachio balances sweetness and crunch. This dessert plays on contrasts, smooth versus rough, sweet versus bitter, herbal versus smoky—inviting diners to explore its layered complexity.
While Estrange, The Cocktail (rum, charcoal, chocolate, fairy floss) is an eye-catching cocktail presented in a classic Martini glass, with its deep black hue from activated charcoal, setting an elegant contrast to the delicate elements atop. A crisp chocolate twill and a soft, swirl of white fairy floss crown the glass, nodding to the intricate lace textures featured in the collection’s textiles. This rum-based dessert cocktail offers an unexpected sweetness that complements its dark, mysterious appearance, mirroring the collection.
Peter Strateas and Mario-Luca Carlucci comment on the creative process and its impact.
“We are excited to be working with the team at Freyja and the creative mind of Chef Jae Bang on this unique collaboration. It’s been incredible to see the synergies between our creative processes and how Jae has been able to interpret our concepts through his lens and into his world,” says Mario-Luca Carlucci.
“Whilst different mediums, the process and concepts of fashion and food are similar, in that we experiment with raw materials and ingredients to build out an idea, and through this process, we tell a story through a sensory and emotive experience. Both dining and fashion invite us to indulge in the moment, to savour every detail, and to appreciate the craftsmanship involved. They are about connections—between people, cultures, and ideas. In this way, both celebrate life’s pleasures, encouraging us to indulge our senses and embrace beauty in all its forms,” adds Peter Strateas.
Freyja’s Estrange dessert and cocktail will be available together for $40 from 21 to 26 October 2024. On Thursday, 24 October, Freyja will present an exclusive five-course Estrange tasting menu for $150, with an optional beverage pairing for an additional $80. Guests will enjoy an immersive live fashion installation blending models, music and art, showcasing the Estrange collection, and celebrating the creative synergy of culinary artistry and style.