Celebrity chef Graham Elliot has a secret. Actually, it's more like a wish that centers on a personal item he hopes will one day find a spot on display in an iconic American museum.

Something from his culinary career, like a favorite saucepan or special spatula, would be our first guess on an item Elliot might want to preserve as his signature item. But we'd be wrong.

The popular judge on Bravo's "Top Chef" wants to be portrayed by his distinctive white designer glasses should the Smithsonian Museum come knocking.

"It's true. Graham's dream is to have a pair of his glasses in the Smithsonian," said Charlotte Rose Coleman, "Top Chef" wardrobe stylist. "He's not kidding. We've talked about it several times. He really wants his white glasses to be his signature look and he hopes they'll be on display one day."

Elliot's eyewear was front and center when we spoke to him on the red carpet at the 2018 Kentucky Derby. But his specs weren't the only fashion choice that drew attention to the famous foodie. Coleman dressed him in a splashy "purple-red sports jacket" and a baby blue and navy floral shirt with a bow tie, then topped off the look — like an ornate pastry — with the snazzy straw hat Elliot selected for the races.

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Whether mixing it up on a red carpet or hosting "Top Chef" for a television audience, Elliot is a prime example of a new breed of fashion-focused kitchen masters who have shed their traditional chef uniform for something more unique.

Think of Guy Fieri's spiky bleached hair as he bites into a juicy hamburger on "Diners Drive-Ins, Dives" or the designer sundress Giada de Laurentiis wears while whisking a bowl of cream on NBC's "Today" show.

The culinary world centers on taste that now extends to more than just food and wine.

Wearing a custom-tailored sports jacket and leather cowboy boots, a dapper Scott Conant joked with the audience during the 2018 Courier Journal Wine and Food Experience last fall at Norton Commons.

A star in the restaurant biz and on the small screen, the host of "Chopped" feels that when he's dressed well, his appearance reflects positively on the food he prepares.

Conant is far from alone in that thinking. In their designer duds, fashion-forward chefs are showing up in fashion magazines and on "Best Dressed" lists once reserved for movie stars, models and socialites.

"I have worked with chef Marcus Samuelsson ("Top Chef Masters") who was in Vanity Fair's Best Dressed issue and it's not uncommon for designers like Valentino and Paul Smith to want to dress him," said Coleman. "Billy Reed custom-made Tom Colicchio's jacket for the Kentucky Derby and a lot of the fashion you see him wearing on this season of 'Top Chef.'"

Before reality television and media hype drew back-of-the-house cooks into the celebrity spotlight, it was commonplace to see a popular chef appear on the occasional morning television talk show dressed in the traditional uniform of the trade.

The nondescript look included a thick white cotton jacket, roomy black and white trousers and one of those tall pleated french hats called a toque. But today, famous cooks are stepping out in Italian-made stilettos and designer sports jackets.

We know what you are thinking (because we're thinking it too) — is it practical to wear clothing worth thousands of dollars to whip up a souffle or chocolate cake?

Of course not. Star-worthy culinary types don't actually cook in their pricey attire. They are the well-pressed observers who stand several feet back from the flames of the gas stove and sputtering electric mixers. The hard-charging contestants, hoping for their own shot at fame, are the unfortunate souls splattered in cake batter and up to their elbows in fish guts.

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Coleman only dresses her "Top Chef "judges in their customary cotton chef coats if they are in a scene that requires them to come in close to the actual preparation of food.

"Tom really doesn't want to wear it any other time," said Coleman, but you can't risk an errant splash of au jus ruining a custom-made jacket.

For a better taste of what dressing a celebrity chef is all about, Coleman took us behind the scenes during a taping of "Top Chef" in Louisville last summer.

Nestled at the far end of a warehouse, out of earshot from the "Top Chef" kitchen set, Bravo converted three shipping containers with carpeting, furniture, wardrobe racks and marquee lighting. One for each of the judges — Elliot, Colicchio, and host Padma Lakshmi.

As we wandered in and out of the separate dressing rooms, the celebrity stylist who once worked for Oprah explained how she creates a unique style for each of the show's stars. Like a skilled baker who measures ingredients carefully for the best result, Coleman leaves nothing to chance in the wardrobe department.

Elliot may be a maestro in the kitchen but he's also a music fanatic who prefers to bring funky touches of rock 'n' roll into his wardrobe. From a rack of well-pressed shirts, Coleman pulled an off-white button-up printed with tiny black guitars. As she pulled a shiny black sequined sports coat off the rack, Coleman explained the coat is an homage to one of Elliot's favorite musicians — Michael Jackson.

"Graham is a risk-taker who gets a lot of inspiration from music in the way he dresses," Coleman said. "We watch a lot of old music videos from the 1980s to pull ideas for his wardrobe and he's always going to concerts."

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And like a lot of musicians, Elliot prefers the comfort and style of a good pair of Converse tennis shoes with almost any outfit.

His passion for music explains why the celebrity chef is quick to show up to the cooking demonstration stage at music festivals like "Bourbon & Beyond," held this year Sept. 20-22 at the Kentucky Exposition Center, 937 Phillips Lane.

Sure, Elliot will spend some time demonstrating his favorite bourbon-inspired cuisine, but we'll bet you a bourbon-glazed doughnut he'll spend most of his time with his favorite bands. Remember, he'll be easy to spot in a crowd in his signature glasses.

Although Lakshmi has her own stylist, Albert Mendonca, on "Top Chef," Coleman allowed us to peak around her dressing room anyway. The trailer was neatly arranged with racks of designer dresses, both long and short, jumpsuits and high heels.

"She prefers clean modern lines," Coleman said of Lakshmi's fashion sense.

When "Top Chef" recorded its "Derby After Party" episode, Lakshmi was dressed in a chic white jumpsuit designed by Brandon Maxwell, a stylist for Lady Gaga and now a judge on Bravo's "Project Runway."

The most conservative dresser of the bunch is without a doubt Colicchio. Compared with his colleagues, his dressing room felt a bit drab — until we took a closer look.

"What you don't see and will never see on the show is that he matches his socks to his shirt. It's his thing," said Coleman. "He has beautiful blue eyes so most of his clothes are in blues and grays, which make his eyes pop on television."

Taking the matching element a step further, Coleman confided Colicchio likes to match his shoelaces to his socks and shirt.

"So I always carry some extra laces in various colors in case I need to change some out while we're on set," she said.

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As for the times when her celebrity clients aren't taping episodes of their television show, Coleman still works with them to achieve their signature style.

"There was a lot going on with Graham's look on Derby day," she laughed. "Lots of colors, print and texture and he's very interested in Americana and that's how he selected his straw hat with the red and navy ribbon."

And yet, Coleman said her client felt that his show-stopping Kentucky Derby outfit wasn't enough.

"Oh yeah, he told me he felt underdressed, he would have liked to have done more," she said.

Proving today's celebrity chef knows that good taste doesn't end in the kitchen — it's the presentation that counts.

Reach Kirby Adams at kadams@courier-journal.com or Twitter @kirbylouisville. Support strong local journalism by subscribing today: courier-journal.com/kirbya