Boston Common - Niche Media - A side of Boston that's anything but common.
Issue link: http://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/361673
W hen Jay Calderin moved from his native New York to Boston in 1989, he thought he had left the fashion indust r y behind for good. Trained as a fashion desig ner at the High School of Fashion Indust ries, Calderin worked for luxur y clothing licensors but became disenchanted by the long hours and lack of creativit y. He moved to Boston to make a fresh start and was quickly dazzled by the emerg ing desig ner scene—so much so that in 1994 he founded Boston Fashion Week. Now BF W is celebrating its 20th anniversar y, and as Calderin put the finishing touches on this year's landmark event, the author and professor at the School of Fashion Desig n on Newbur y St reet sat down with Boston Common to talk about what's in store for local fashion fanatics. At the restaurant Vejigantes in the South End, over a lunch of authentic cuisine from his family's homeland of Puerto R ico, he shared his excitement for the milestone and talked about the new desig ners who will be at the launch this year, as well as how Boston Fashion Week has evolved over the past t wo decades. So, tell me a little about the food you just ordered. Everything I ordered is something I kind of grew up with and also really representative of Puerto R ican food. There's the ensalada verde con aguacate, which is basically a very simple avocado salad, and it's just a nice neutral taste for all of the richer food. And then I ordered pasteles en hoja Puertorriqueños. Usually you make them over the holidays; you almost never see it on a menu any where because it's so labor-intensive. And then the paella is a nice culmination of all the Spanish f lavors. What do you love most about Vejigantes? It's the first place since I've been in Boston that I've had real Puerto R ican food. It's like coming home, especially getting back to my roots, and they do it very well. I've been bringing my mom for her birthday and celebrating anniver- saries here. I like the atmosphere because it's very relaxed and homey, but at the same time you get great food and it's served beautifully. Speaking of birthdays, what a stylish lunch What: A conversation with Jay Calderin to get the scoop on Boston Fashion Week When: Lunch on a warm, sunny Monday Where: Vejigantes Restaurant, 57 W. Dedham St., 617- 247-9249; vejigantes restaurant.com An Appetite for fAshion Jay Calderin celebrates 20 years as founder and executive director of boston fashion Week— and pays homage to his latino roots. by olivia pierCe photography by bryCe viCkmark ContinueD on PAGe 96... Vejigantes is named after a legendary Spanish knight who symbolizes defiance for the Puerto Rican people. Boston Fashion Week founder and executive director Jay Calderin says Vejigantes is the first local restaurant he's found that serves authentic Puerto Rican food. Paella Valenciana with chicken and Spanish chorizo, inside a bowl made from shredded fried plantains. 94 bostoncommon-magazine.com taste On the town