Come Fashion Week, the ever-dapper Michael Bastian, who has an eponymous label and a line for Gant, usually relies on grilled salmon and broccoli from Pepe Giallo near his Chelsea showroom. “We live off this place during Fashion Week,” says the 46-year-old. But on Labor Day, he and his staff began the countdown to his Wednesday show by feasting on pizza and Middle Eastern mezze.
Monday, September 3
Breakfast: Coffee and a cigarette
Lunch: Two pieces of pizza with sausage, pepperoni and fresh mozzarella from Patsy’s — only thing open on Labor Day! We were doing castings at the office, and I had a full team of 16 I needed to feed.
Dinner: Falafel, hummus, baba ghanoush, tabouleh from Pita Grill in the showroom after castings, debating our final model picks — late, late night.
Known for his delightfully colorful designs — and equally delightful pink hair — designer Chris Benz, 30, preps for Fashion Week with lots of iced coffee and easy snacks. “We’ve been really good about going to Whole Foods and getting cheese and bread, so we can make sandwiches on the fly,” says Benz, who shows his collection tomorrow.
Monday, September 3
Breakfast: Happy Labor Day! Same as every morning, it’s a quick breeze into my [Chelsea] neighborhood deli for a black iced coffee à emporter, always.
Lunch: Team CB stays civilized with Tea and Sympathy [neighborhood delivery is $5] tea sandwiches. Branston pickle and a sharp cheddar may be one of the most underrated and delightful culinary combinations of all time.
Snack: I always punctuate my afternoons at the CB studio with a Starbucks Venti Hibiscus Iced Tea, unsweetened, short straw, all paid for on the Starbucks App that I’m completely obsessed with … and I’m not kidding about that straw!
Dinner: I usually spend Monday evenings quietly at home, planning for the upcoming week. Naturally, this also means quality time with a side of sautéed garlic kale and six buttermilk fried-chicken fingers from Dirty Bird To-Go’s menu.
Racks of pretty pink togs and poppy pumps line designer Rachel Roy’s nearly floor-to-ceiling windowed showroom in the Garment District. The 38-year-old, who goes gluten-free at home to avoid sluggishness at the office, often treats her team to group lunches from her favorite restaurants. “I like clean food that’s put together in an interesting way,” says Roy, who on Tuesday dined with her co-workers on dishes specially delivered from ABC Kitchen. With only a week to go before her Tuesday show, she took note of their popular crab toast (inset) for a quick meal to make at home with her daughters.
Tuesday, September 4
Breakfast: Most days I skip it.
Lunch: We had a special lunch from Dan Kluger at ABC Kitchen. The raw summer squash salad and slowly baked halibut were the first to go!
Snack: To keep my energy up throughout the busy afternoon, I snacked on the “Spicy Citrus” juice from Juice Press — a delicious alkalizing and cleansing citrus, ginger and cayenne pepper drink.
Dinner: One of the easiest dishes to cook at home after a long day in the studio is a simple and light cooked quinoa salad. I love to mix in different, fresh steamed seasonal vegetables, some cucumber, and toasted nuts or seeds. Delicious!
Roy, Benz and Bastian are among a host of New York designers teaming up with Bon Appétit for their annual Feast or Fashion initiative. Go to bafeastorfashion.com for details, menus and more!