Met Gala Who? Chefs Turn Out on the James Beard Awards Red Carpet

Eater

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Even before he stood up to accept his award for Best Chef: Northwest and Pacific at last year's James Beard Awards for his work at Portland, Oregon, Haitian restaurant Kann, Gregory Gourdet stood out among the sea of traditional black tuxes, white shirts, and black bow ties. The bright colors on the top portion of his suit coat could be seen from a distance. Once on the stage, viewers got the complete picture: a gray suit inspired by the formal garb of the 1800s honoring Haiti's freedom from French rule as well as the trogon, the national bird of the Caribbean country. The jacket depicted the body of the bird; his bright red vest, its breast. Deeply hued turquoise and blue ombre feathers were hand-stitched onto the top of the suit jacket. Accessories ranged from a vintage Schiaparelli brooch and classic Gucci loafers to a gold chain from Thailand courtesy of one of his chefs. A good luck charm in the form of a ring from Gourdet's best friend's late father finished his look as it has at two previous Beard ceremonies for which he has been nominated and won. It was a look that signaled Gourdet plays by his own rules.
'It's important to remember the James Beard Awards are the biggest night we have for American culinary and there is no better time to deliver a message than in that room and on that stage if you win,' says Gourdet, who has worked with Portland-based designer Adam Arnold to help style his Beard outfits. 'Clothes are a powerful way to express yourself, deliver a message, and show people another side of you.'
The annual James Beard Awards gala is an opportunity for hospitality industry professionals from all over the country to gather and honor their peers — but more and more it's becoming an opportunity for top food industry talent to get dressed up and show off their personal style and culture. This year's Chef and Restaurant Awards ceremony — which takes place on Monday, June 16, at the Lyric Opera of Chicago — will undoubtedly continue that tradition.
Befitting its frequent reference as the 'Oscars of the food world,' James Beard gala attendees have always generally adhered to the black-tie dress request the prestige of the event warrants. But these last few years there's been a change with formalwear being interpreted in new and personal ways.
'We've always had stylish attendees, but we've noticed a distinct shift toward more expressive fashion choices in recent years,' says Tamar Simpson, vice president of marketing and communications for the James Beard Foundation. 'We're seeing more chefs and culinary professionals showcase their culture, heritage, personality, and artistic vision through their attire across awards weekend, but especially on the red carpet.'
As a first-time attendee and subsequent 2024 winner for Emerging Chef, Masako Morishita of Perry's in Washington, D.C., knew she wanted her outfit to reflect both who she is and where she came from. 'I wanted to walk in that room not just as a chef, but as a proud Japanese woman who's found her voice through food.'
Morishita wore a modern kimono-style dress in a rich orange color paired with a head piece that acknowledged traditional Japanese patterns. It was important to her that it not feel like a costume but a celebration of her roots and show that, like her cooking, modernity and tradition can harmoniously coexist.
'It was more than just an outfit; it was a way for me to express my identity without saying a word,' she says. 'As someone who came to this country with a suitcase and a dream, and as a woman representing both the Asian and culinary communities, I felt that what I wore should honor that journey. It was also a tribute to my family and my country, especially my mother and grandmother, who always taught me that food and presentation are both forms of love.'
Another first-time attendee last year was chef Sujan Sarkar, nominated for Best Chef: Great Lakes for his work at Chicago's Indienne. A long blue coat he bought in India served as the anchor of his outfit. Typically worn to formal events, the form-fitting piece's rich blue color was also a nod to Sarkar's birthplace. From there, he added a patterned pocket square for a pop of color.
Beyond its reference to India, the cotton-blend coat had another purpose. 'It was very comfortable,' he says. 'It was hot and humid inside, so the comfort factor was important.'
Chef Serigne Mbaye of New Orleans's Dakar NOLA favors clothing that reflects and honors his West African heritage. Last year's Beard awards where his Senegalese tasting menu won Best New Restaurant was no exception.
'It's an African tradition to adorn oneself and show up with pride and presence,' says Mbaye. He worked with his tailor aunt to create his traditional outfit — called mbubb ak sër in Wolof, one of Senegal's main languages, that often includes embroidery on the long tunic and is paired with loose-fitting pants. Two options were made for him: white and blue, and white and gold; he chose the latter, as it represented a 'celebration of culinary excellence.'
Expressing the importance of family in his life is top of mind for Mbaye. 'As an entrepreneur, my aunt has taken care of people by styling and clothing them in the same way that I do in satisfying them through food,' he says. 'Wearing that style in public to the Beards was more than just fashion. It's a cultural expression and expresses my love and appreciation for Senegal and West Africa.'
His style tip for this year's nominees: 'Wear something that when you look back at images from that evening in 10 years a smile comes to your face.'
Like the owner of the restaurant she works at, Fariyal Abdullahi, executive chef at Marcus Samuelsson's Hav & Mar, is a fan of boldly expressing who she is beyond the kitchen. Nominated in 2024 for Emerging Chef, Abdullahi wore a traditional Harari garment that reflects the Ethiopian tribe she grew up with. The ensemble included intricately embellished pants and a shawl along with a gold headpiece called a zargaf. She omitted the traditional oversized dress and opted instead for a contemporary Harari slip-style dress.
'I often talk about carrying four of the most underrepresented voices in America as a Black Muslim woman who is a first-generation immigrant,' says Abdullahi. 'Because last year was my first nomination, I wanted to proudly show up as all these voices.'
Just five years ago, the Beard Awards canceled the award ceremony amid the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic and cascading scandals, not the least of which being a report by the New York Times that not a single Black winner was named across 23 categories that year. Other nominees included those who had faced controversy and criticism, which, under the foundation's rules, should have disqualified them from consideration. In 2022, the James Beard Awards returned with new policy standards in place, including an independent ethics committee to handle misconduct allegations and a pledge that a minimum of 50 percent of committee members and judges would come from BIPOC backgrounds by 2023. Efforts were also made to broaden the pool of chefs, restaurants, and bars under consideration.
'The industry should stop gatekeeping the highest accolades to white male chefs,' Abdullahi says.
While some are drawing on their roots for style inspiration others have started to be more playful with their James Beard looks. Wearing identical outfits to the Beards has turned into a tradition of its own for married chef couple Genie Kwon and Tim Flores of Chicago's Kasama. It all started in 2021 when the pair wore matching green jumpsuits to the ceremony that eschewed awards all together.
It was Flores who saw an ad on Instagram for the jumpsuits and proposed the idea to Kwon. 'We didn't have PR, and nobody knew who we were,' she says. 'We figured it would be a good way to start a conversation with people.'
The following year they wore a more formal suit, albeit in an informal orange hue, and in 2023, they upped their style game again with green velvet tuxedos from hospitality workwear brand Stock Mfg. Co. That year they took home the award for Best Chef: Great Lakes. 'Tim is always taking the reins with the outfits,' says Kwon. 'I am always skeptical, but he is usually always right.'
Last year, as presenters, the couple wore Western-style tan suits complete with cowboy hats and bolo ties. The fact that they were presenting for Best Chef: Texas was purely coincidental as they had already planned their outfits.
'People have come to expect it now,' says Kwon. 'Hopefully, the food can speak louder than the outfits.'
As a nominee this year for Outstanding Bar, Kumiko's Julia Momosé is planning on wearing a dress made from a vintage kimono. While wearing a formal kimono to an event like the Beards has always been a dream of hers, as someone who is 'mixed' — Momosé is Japanese American and grew up in Japan — she was concerned that it would be viewed as disrespectful or inauthentic.
'Still, I want to wear something that feels like home,' she says. 'Something that reflects my culture and my identity — not just as a Japanese person, but as a mixed person, navigating both honor and nuance.'
Reimagining a traditional kimono into a new silhouette felt like the right answer. 'It feels like me: honoring the past, acknowledging the present, and embracing the in-between,' says Momosé. 'The Beard Awards have become one of the rare moments where we get to step outside of our daily uniforms and celebrate not just our work, but who we are.'
Disclosure: Some Vox Media staff members are part of the voting body for the James Beard Awards. Eater is partnering with the James Beard Foundation to livestream the awards in 2025 . All editorial content is produced independently of the James Beard Foundation. See More: