More than a Vegan Cookbook

Sophia Lewis is a British designer at the Hamburg based fashion brand Closed, where she has worked for over 20 years. The Welshborn designer moved to Germany to work for Jil Sander after graduating from the world-renowned MA Fashion course at Central Saint Martins in 1998.

In 2020 when the world paused, her interest in wellness led her and her daughter Gwen to develop vegan, refined sugar-free and some grain-free updates to her Grandmother Doris’ favourite cakes, puddings and breads.

As the cakes became popular in the office she was constantly asked for the recipes. It was only then that Sophia had the idea to write a cookbook. Whilst writing, Sophia found a way to tell her grandmother about the journey she has made so far in life and all the things she has learnt on the way about our diets, general well-being and living in our times.

Dear Doris captures Sophia’s rural Welsh upbringing and how she found a home from home in the design studio at Closed. It gives insights into the way of working at Closed, the fun atmosphere at work, the friendships she has found, and documents some incredible stories.

The book is a conversation with her grandmother Doris and is a way for Sophia to tell her the story of her discoveries in wellness and vegan baking. She also describes how she has followed the life lessons she learnt from her grandparents that still inform her approach to life today in the studio and at home.

The recipes offer a modern version of the favourite cakes of Sophia’s childhood, approaching cakes as she does fashion: designing, modernising and redefining.

In the book, Sophia applies her design knowledge to cakes and baking, so that we can consciously update not only our wardrobes but also our dining tables. Enabling each of us to offer a little bit of love on a plate. Sophia Lewis brings fashion into cakes and cakes into fashion.

Price 29,00 €, with 220 pages. Hardcover. ISBN: 9783965842083

Dear Doris is published by ZS Verlag and is available at Amazon, Closed, Hugendubel, Thalia and other bookstores.