Creative Closeup with Laszlo Badet
Before she was a chef, Laszlo Badet was a petite main— trained by hand, in the quiet discipline of haute couture ateliers in Paris. Her cooking carries that same discipline now: rustic, instinctive, shaped by her Swiss-Italian roots and finished with an eye for staging that only comes from years spent thinking in fabric, cut, and form. Self-taught in the kitchen, she moves fluidly between private dinners, film, and photography— building menus the way she once built garments, one considered layer at a time. We sat down with her to talk about the thread that runs through both crafts.
How does your training as a couturière show up in the way you cook?
Being a couturière is one craft among many that I carry within me. Everything I create is connected to countless influences, but above all to who I am. My cooking is simply an extension of my whole self.
Do texture and shape matter to you on a plate the way they do in a garment?
Absolutely. They express so much of a creator's imagination, soul and relationship with the final result. They can be completely free or perfectly mastered. Shapes and textures evolve between the pursuit of craftsmanship and the freedom of emotion.
How does a dish usually begin for you — an ingredient, a memory, an image?
Usually with an ingredient, a season and the person I will be sharing it with. More than anything, I love cooking without planning ahead. I create in the moment, from imagining the dish to preparing it, styling it and finally sharing it. I know this spontaneity is one of my greatest strengths.
What drew you to the Merlette pieces you styled?
The beauty of their craftsmanship and their fabrics. I also loved their versatility, the balance they create on the body, and their precious yet timeless quality.
How does travel shape your cooking and creative work?
Whenever I travel, I always make sure I have the chance to shop at a local market and cook. My travels have deeply shaped my palate through unforgettable sensory and visual discoveries. I always carry a notebook with me, filling it with endless notes after each day of exploring.
Where do you usually find inspiration?
In everyday life. In invitations, my surroundings, my friends, my family, my husband... Everything becomes an invitation to nourish my imagination and keep my creative mind turning.
How has living in Paris shaped your creative practice?
Paris is a city of freedom. Living here reminds you that you are just one small person among endless possibilities of being and creating. It is where I have grown, where I feel welcomed and inspired, and where I have found the balance that allows me to feel creatively nourished every day. Paris is simply beautiful.
Photographed by Léonard Méchineau.