A Gucci Christmas
This year has been the year of panettone for me and arguably the best in America is coming from chef Roy Shvartzapel. His bio line pretty much sums it up… Mentored by the world’s panettone master, Iginio Massari, Roy has spent the better part of a decade obsessing and perfecting what he calls, “the Mt. Everest of the baking world." I’ve ordered no less than ten this year, a few for myself and mainly for friends and family as gifts and to get us through quarantine. I also served his maple-pecan Thanksgiving panettone at my birthday getaway in Wimberley for one of the dinners and it was nothing less than amazing. When I heard he was doing a collaboration with Gucci Osteria for the Christmas season, I knew it would be the perfect gift for a few special folks.
Not only does it come in a special panettone tin, the panettone itself is swathed in a custom duster bag in matching pink and black. In obvious Sartorial Host fashion, I wanted to add an extra touch to really give it that extra wow factor. The tin has a pretty eye illustration and I wanted to play off of the eye and build a lush, floral landscape that runs around the tin. In coordinating shades of pink leptospermum flowers and black knight scabiosa flowers, the whole execution becomes an art installation in itself. A simple black metal band that runs the base of the floral element reads like a black ribbon and the illustrated eye seems to peer through the grassland of pampas and agonis leaves. The stark white contrast of the bleached straw flower brings the modernity back to the floral-scape to remind you that the ultimate prize lies within.
Wishing you all a Merry Gucci, from Roy, Christmas!
A GUCCI CHRISTMAS
FLORALS + SUPPLIES
10” round black metal dish with a 2” lip
Oasis floral foam
Super glue
2 bunches of ‘Black Knight’ scabiosa flowers
1 branch of pampas grass
1 bunch of hot pink flowering leptospermum
1 bunch of bleached straw flower
1 bunch of scabiosa pods
1 bunch of burgundy agonis
STEPS
Start by centering the panettone can on the metal dish and supergluing the two together.
Soak half a brick of floral foam. Cut into 1/2” thick and 1-1/2” x 1-1/2” squares and insert all the way around the base. If your vessels are watertight, fill with water to fully hydrate.
Because we are building this on a smaller scale, you will want to cut everything down into smaller 4-8” long pieces.
Start with the pampas grass and place sporadically around the tin. Some should be shorter and grouped together and a few taller that extend past the lid of the tin.
Next layer in the agonis and leptospermum throughout to cover all the foam and create a dense foliage.
Next layer in the accent scabiosa flowers, pods, and straw flower.
With the eye illustration on the Gucci tin, I wanted to ensure you could still see it through the foliage and give it the illusion that the eye is peeking through.
Spritz the petals for a last bit of hydration.
