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Abi Balingit is a Filipino-American baker who lives in Brooklyn where she bakes out of her apartment in Bed-Stuy under the moniker The Dusky Kitchen. She is currently working on her debut cookbook, called Mayumu: Remixing Filipino American Desserts, which will release in the winter of 2023. If you just can’t wait for it to publish, get a taste of her baked goods—like a heart-shaped ube-pandan swirl cake for a friend’s birthday, or chewy peanut butter cookies inspired by Filipino kare-kare stew—and also admire her excellent sense of style on her Instagram.
I called her up to talk about her love of hair dye, platforms, detachable sleeves, and so much more.
How would you describe your style?
Right now, I'm really into kid core. I love vintage tees with the Pillsbury Doughboy or Mr. Jelly Belly. I just really love color. I wear a lot of kitschy prints, and I'm not afraid to really go there. I love fruit motifs. Anything that is joyful and playful. I grew up in the Bay Area and Central California, so a lot of my style is influenced by my favorite time of the season to dress for, which is sweaters-and-shorts weather. It's really hard in the Northeast because that’s such a short time window.
Have you always been interested in expressing yourself through what you wear?
Growing up in the suburbs, I got a lot of hand-me-downs from my sister and my older cousins, and I got creative with it. I would even pull from both of my parents' closets. The ’80s were my mom’s prime—she says this herself!— so, I’ve always loved big shoulder pads and volume. In high school circa 2013, I was on Tumblr a lot. American Apparel was huge, as was going on Lookbook for inspiration. I got really into wearing all black at that time and buying clothes online. I remember specifically that galaxy leggings were a huge purchase for me.
What do you like to wear when baking, even though you do most of it from home?
An apron is really key. It's really bad when I'm lazy and I don't wear an apron because it's just flour and powdered sugar everywhere. I go for comfort more than anything. I’ll need a hat or a beanie just for the practicality of keeping my hair out of my baked goods. Crocs for footwear and long pants.
When you host pop-ups, how do you think about dressing up for the event?
I try to look cuter than I am in the kitchen. I want to pop, so I’ll wear a lot of brighter colors. If I'm doing a pop-up event and no one's met me before, I want to make sure I’m not just the girl with the pink hair, but also with the lime green Simon Miller bubble clogs. I'll try my best to be taller, and, as long as the weather's nice, to wear nice shoes like platforms. You also have to be aware of the number of hours that an event is. If it’s especially long, I’ll be sure to dress comfortably.
Let’s talk about hair dye! You change your hair color pretty often. What inspires you to do so? And how do new different hair colors affect what you choose to wear?
I didn't dye my hair at all until the pandemic. Obviously, everyone had more time at home, but my boyfriend convinced me to do it with boxed dye by saying it’d be fun and it’ll grow back. I think that was always my biggest fear, which I guess is tied to being an Asian woman and having black hair. It was almost like undoing the assimilation aspect of ‘Oh, to be blonde.’ It’s liberating to know that I can be anybody I want to be—no matter what my hair color looks like, I'm still me.
I still gravitate towards really bright colors. I’ve had purple, pink, light green, blue, half-and-half, and so I just really have fun with it now. I love having bleached eyebrows too. I’ll sometimes go monochrome and wear all pink if I'm rocking pink hair.
Who are some of your favorite designers?
I really love Sandy Liang and Susan Alexandra. I think both of them are super playful, fun designers. Another designer I really like is Paloma Wool, which is so chic and comfortable.
How do you like to accessorize?
I have a massive collectsion of earrings, 100 pairs or so. On Zoom calls, since I still work a nine-to-five remote job, it's nice to dress up for the call with eclectic earrings. I have a lot of full-sized fruit earrings. I also love patchwork collars and sometimes detachable sleeves, which help to make an outfit feel like something new.
An accessory that I really cherish is my Terno butterfly detachable sleeves from this Filipino designer Keith Lafuente, which is pretty much an icon of Filipino cultural wear. “Terno” means to match, and he matches them with a top and skirt. They make me feel really dressed up, but they’re made of really casual material, so it’s a nice play of highbrow and lowbrow.
Do you have a favorite pair of shoes?
There’s this meme where this guy opens a fridge, and it’s full of shoes. It says: “I hope you don't mind Filipino food.” I love shoes, specifically, too. My favorite pair is the Commes des Garcons Nike Cortez platform sneakers. They’re black with a huge platform of black-and-white stripes. I really feel tall, and they’re very comfortable since they’re flatforms.
What brands, or specific items, are on your wish list?
A KkCo detachable prairie collar. This all-fruit printed sweater. And this Loewe fluorescent yellow mohair sweater.
How do you approach buying new things to wear?
In New York, our closet spaces are limited. And since I have so much clothing already, I try to buy upcycled or thrifted pieces. If there’s a piece that I really love that’s new, I feel much better about buying it if I know it’s made with sustainable materials.
Who (or where) do you look to for style inspiration?
I live in Bed-Stuy, and so everyone I pass by is super fashionable, even just going to the grocery store. Besides in person, I look towards Instagram a lot, and a couple of influencers I really love are Kelley Heyer and @vivthemole. Kelly wears a lot of clown core. And Viv is great because she has a similar style to me, like bubble clogs and really cool, voluminous pieces. I feel more inspired by people on the street and people that feel more accessible than many celebrities are.
