Yossy Arefi: Clothing Is a Means

Yossy Arefi is a cookbook author, food photographer, and food stylist based in Brooklyn, NY. Her first book, Sweeter off the Vine, is all about fruit desserts - the very best desserts. Her newest book, Snacking Bakes (the follow-up to the wildly popular Snacking Cakes), landed in perfect time for holiday baking this year.

We photographed Yossy back in 2017, baking in her cozy, sun-drenched apartment and hanging in her dreamy neighborhood. Yossy has a quiet, serene ease about her, and her home is filled with beautiful, well-used objects and artifacts. She chose black silk pants and a linen tee for an afternoon in the kitchen - pieces that can be worn with abandon amidst flour and butter and thrown in the wash afterwards. For a jaunt through her neighborhood, she picked a canvas jacket, linen tee, and silk skirt. All perfectly put together but supremely comfortable and allowing for total freedom of movement. Shooting Yossy at work felt like such a gift - the tactility of our fabrics and her skilled hands working with flour, dough and fruits - it was all so rich.

We asked Yossy what role clothing plays in her life, and here’s what she had to say:

“When Liz asked me to be part of this project, she mentioned that her clothes are meant to "make you feel like yourself and then get out of the way," and I realized that is exactly what I want from my wardrobe - clothes that make me feel comfortable and confident to take on whatever my day throws at me.”