Finally August!
Welcome back to the FORM + FUNCTION newsletter. It’s the top of the month, which means there’s a whole new calendar to dig your nose into — how fun.
F+F IRL ALERT: A few letters ago I talked about this very cool D.C.-based internet radio project called FRIDGE.FM, put together by the team at Capital City Soundsystem. I’ll be hosting a one-shot show on Monday, August 17 from 7-8PM! Stay tuned because I’m gonna ask for ideas for guests and topics over on our Instagram.
Alexya as a literal baby hosting on college radio c. 2017
In this latest F+F letter, you’ve got
THE Q+A, this month with beloved D.C. pop up pastry chef and dreamer of dreams, Savannah of scrapss
THE CALENDAR, as always, the printable F+F Community Calendar for AUGUST
THE HIGHLIGHTS, a.k.a. five events worth putting on your schedule right now.
Don’t be shy to send me events to feature! Send details for a D.C. event you want to share with Form & Function by email or on Instagram @formandfunctiondc.
Need friends to FUNCTION with? Forward this email to a pal and help us build our subscriber community.
See you out there,
Alexya ☆
IT’S A scrapss WORLD, WE JUST LIVE IN IT !
The world of Food D.C. ™ is immensely lucky to have so many creative people channeling truly otherworldly things. I’ve told her before and I’ll say it here: Savannah Velasco-Kent is one of my favorite artists. You might know Breadscraps, Savannah’s close-held pastry and art project that earns lines and love across the city. Her menus are defiantly playful, the flavors are singular, and the art is delicious.
Well, there’s been a bit of a rebrand. Breadscraps is now just scrapss, a new playground entirely of Savannah’s own making.
I sent Savannah six questions over email ahead of the first scrapss pop-up, an ode to BLUE SUMMER happening next Saturday, August 8 at Vintage Vintage Vintage. Unedited!
q: first things first, what happened to bread scraps? what’s new with scrapss?
in many ways, bread scraps was like a first relationship. it taught me what i really wanted, but i had to leave it to create what i actually meant to say. it began on a whim, after years of working in professional kitchens and stepping away from painting to learn pastry. over time, i began to understand the world i was creating in my mind while i worked. my work shapes the way i see everything, and eventually becomes the world i live in. scrapss is that larger world, a place where pastry, art, and design can invite people in and leave them wanting to create something of their own.
q: what emotion do you think is largely underrepresented in the pastry arts and why?
longing. pastry is so often built around celebration, comfort, or nostalgia, but i’m interested in wanting something that you know cannot stay. there is something especially delicious about having something briefly, knowing it will disappear, and still wishing you could keep it forever. that feeling has been at the center of blue summer.
q: what’s on your vision board right now?
creating a world for people to escape into has really been at the forefront of my mind. i’ve long felt that creating things of beauty, whether through pastry, art, or even oneself, is a kind of reality rooted in fantasy. if i have this whole life to live, and i could be anywhere, why wouldn’t i choose to live somewhere else that i made?
q: you have to make a cake for your closest frenemy. what are the flavors?
assuming my closest frenemy is one of those people who “doesn’t like sweets,” i would make them something very classic and very sweet. funfetti cake with cream cheese frosting and strawberry jam, covered in pink swirls and blue star-shaped sprinkles. then i would keep some of the scraps for myself, because that is exactly what i’ve been craving all summer.
q: what have you been reading about lately?
shamefully, i haven’t been reading much this summer. i’ve spent most of it building scrapss, which has led me toward things i can listen to while i work. lately i’ve fallen into a deep rabbit hole of listening to different pop girls talk about their process and their music, with slayyyter being one of the most prominent. i’m very drawn to these “party girls” making music that people might label as silly, because there is often something incredibly sincere and almost sacred underneath it. i really resonate with that.
q: fmk: corn, wheat, rye
marry corn. there are so many varietals that i could fall in love with corn in every lifetime, and each one would still feel new and special.
fuck wheat. it’s versatile, dependable, and gets the job done.
kill rye. the obsession with nordic food, noma kitchen culture, and the bear all need to end. sadly, rye bread will have to go down with them.
SEE SCRAPSS LIKE NEVER BEFORE — SATURDAY, AUGUST 8 AT VINTAGE VINTAGE VINTAGE
Many events require tickets or RSVPs. Find everything you need to know about the AUGUST calendar lineup here.
BOOK TRANSLATORS SALON WITH LOST CITY BOOKS — AUGUST 4TH AT THE LINE HOTEL
What does it take to translate a whole book? If you’re like me and always incredibly nosy about what goes on in other people’s industries, this could be a cool event to sit in on and learn about a lesser represented role in the lit world. There’s food and wine, too.
THE PACK PARTY 7 — AUGUST 8TH AT 1726 17TH ST NE
Now whatever happened to just good old fashioned parties? A party? Just a regular normal party??? Do y’all go to those? In any case, the long-awaited Pack Party will be, I believe, an all-time summer function. Go-go, food on site, vendors, and a cute little souvenir come with your ticket.
DEEP DIVE ALL VINYL PARTY — AUGUST 14TH AT NABIHA
I love a Deep Dive party because Tobu is always booking the kinds of DJs that bring a genuinely global perspective to a Friday night in D.C. This time we meet Pierro from Brussels, along with an opening lineup TBA.
VINTAGE AMERICAN COOKBOOK CLUB — AUGUST 19 AT BOLD FORK BOOKS
Bold Fork has been quietly curating the city’s craziest collection of 20th century cookbooks. The mysteries of those have only been revealed to those brave enough to take one home, until now: join this month’s cookbook club, pick one to take home, and make something for the big potluck on the 19th. I’m sure there will be jello mold mogging.
A PHYSICAL MEDIA SWAP — AUGUST 9 AT RHIZOME
It’s like treasure hunting for alt baddies. Once a month, two friends host a day to share your DVDs, CDs, machines, records, and more with the hopes of finding something delightful to take home. It’s free and open to all.
