09 21, 2009 12:00 PM

The Science of Sleep

LAB NOTES

An average American gets 6.9 hours of sleep a night. Take that number, multiply by the 6 train, add 47 blocks, 7 pairs of heels, 800 models, subtract a stack of invitations, then divide it in half, and you’ve got the number of hours the not-so-average New York Fashion Weeker logged on any given night last week.

To prove our completely unscientific theory in the only scientific way we knew how, we turned to the Zeo Personal Sleep Coach. Aside from an alarm that gently rouses you from slumber with escalating jazzy electro Muzak (see: Sid Y.), it tracks your night’s sleep by using a headband (see: birth control) packing sensor technology that measures sleep patterns through your brain’s electrical signals. Our findings? Very interesting indeed.

Name: Kristin “Why sleep?! It just makes it harder to get up.” Ess. A.k.a. Kristin “Young Hollywood’s go-to girl for extensions and more” Ess Occupation: Hairstylist (you can find her at Warren Tricomi L.A.) Highlights (no, not that kind): Worked on shows (Y-3 by Yohji Yamamoto, Custo Barcelona, Donna Karan, Thakoon, Devi Kroell, etc.) with whom I consider the biggest influence of our industry, Eugene Souleiman. Such a brilliant man. Bedtime: 7:15 a.m. (Had to prep hairpieces for a photo shoot.) Alarm: Yes! 9:25 a.m. Sleep score: 41 Time till sleep: 10 mins. Total zzzs: 2 hrs. REM: 15 mins. Light sleep: 41 mins. Deep sleep: 1 hr. 4 mins. Dreams: It’s all one big dream, isn’t it?

Name: Sidney Prawatyotin Occupation: Publicist for the likes of Thuy, Jeffery Monteiro, Rachel Comey, United Bamboo, and Lela Rose. To-do’s: Post-fashion show follow-ups, some pitching, Emmy fittings, dinner with the boyfriend, walking Eno the dog. Re: Eno: He curls up with me every night. I think he’s the root of my sleeping problems actually — I’m fighting for space from him and my boyfriend. Pillow: Target standard. Sleep score: 43 Bedtime: 12:45 a.m. Alarm: 7 a.m. to Zeo Forest soundtrack. Time till sleep: 11 min. Total zzzs: 6 hrs. 4 mins. REM: 59 mins. Light sleep: 2 hrs. 7 mins. Deep sleep: 38 mins. Times awoken in the night: 1 (Dr. DC: We suspect Eno.) A.M. or P.M.: A.M.

Name: Alison Lewis Occupation: Designer, Lewis To-do’s: Fashion Week prep, hair and makeup test for models with Cutler and Make Up Forever, spring 2010 presentation itself, wrap up loose ends, pay my bills, hang out with neglected boyfriend. Sleep score: 100 (before presentation) 73 (after presentation) Bedtime: 2 a.m. (b.p.) 2 a.m. (a.p.) Alarm: 9 a.m. (b.p.) 8 a.m. (a.p.) Time till sleep: 15 mins. (b.p.) 22 mins. (a.p.) Total zzzs: 7 hrs. 20 mins. (b.p.) 6 hrs. 8 mins. (a.p.) REM: 2 hrs. 14 mins. (b.p.) 1 hr. 16 mins. (a.p.) Light sleep: 2 hrs. 24 mins. (b.p.) 3 hrs. 8 mins. (a.p.) Deep sleep: 2 hrs. 23 mins. (b.p.) 1 hr. 45 mins. (a.p.) Times awoken in the night: 1 (b.p.) 10 (a.p.) Dreams: Don’t remember but probably stress related!

Name: Sara Glick Occupation: Makeup artist (give saraglick.com a looksy or get a load of Alexander Wang, Ohne Titel, Duskin, Gryphon, Samantha Pleet, Wren, Apiece Apart, and the rest of ’em). Aesthetic ethos: I believe makeup should be considered an added bonus to being a woman. To-do’s: Personal clients, events, dinners, photo shoots, paperwork, clean apartment, pack for Big Sur vacation. Sleep score: 94 Bedtime: 12:05 a.m. Wake-up: 7:50 a.m. Alarm: none Time till sleep: 4 mins. Total zzzs: 7 hrs. 45 mins. REM: 2 hrs. 20 mins. Light sleep: 4 hrs. Deep sleep: 1 hr. 25 mins. A.M. or P.M.: A.M.! I usually am asleep by 1 a.m. on a normal work week, although sometimes I just can’t keep my eyes open and hit the sack around 11 p.m.

Name: Kwesi Blair Occupation: Fashion/retail strategic consultant Highlights: Viewing of The Row collection, Marchesa presentation, Timo presentation, Doo.ri show To-do’s: WWD Luxury Redefined conference Pillow: Down Sheets: Pratesi Sleep score: 62 Bedtime: 1:30 a.m. Wake-up: 8:33 a.m. Alarm: 8 a.m. Time till sleep: 1 hr. 32 mins. What was the holdup: Friendly banter. Total zzzs: 5 hrs. 50 mins. REM: 1 hr. 38 mins. Light sleep: 3 hrs. 40 mins. Deep sleep: 32 mins. Times awoken in the night: 2 If you had to count something (i.e., sheep) what would it be: Colors. Read Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.

Name: Steven Dam Occupation: Casting and fashion production, KCD Worldwide Highlights: Finishing the Marc Jacobs looks and fitting process and keeping the collection organized so every model’s shoe is bagged; every item of clothing is on the right hanger; and no belt, bag, hair scrunchie, etc. goes missing! Sleep score: 62 Bedtime: 3:30 a.m. Wake-up: Alarm for 9 a.m. then I snoozed for the most amazing 10 minutes Time till sleep: 2 mins. (!!!) Total zzzs: 5 hrs. 37 mins. REM: 1 hr. 26 mins. Light sleep: 3 hrs. 4 mins. Deep sleep: 1 hr. 10 mins. Dreams: Can’t remember exactly, but something along the lines of about the repetitive actions I was doing at work — rhyming off model names, writing numbers in shoes, clipping pictures to dresser cards, hanging shirts on hangers, zipping zippers …

Name: Ilaria Urbinati Occupation: Fashion stylist/co-owner and buyer Confederacy, L.A./design collaborator Rebecca Minkoff apparel Highlights: Calvin Klein, Rag & Bone, Brian Reyes collections, and our show! Pillow: Only sleep with one or you’ll wake up with a neck cramp. Sheets: Ralph Lauren Sleep score: 48 Bedtime: midnight Wake-up: 9 a.m. Time till sleep: 15 mins. Total zzz’s: Zeo says 4 hours cuz then the headband fell off even though I wore a ponytail like it told me to. REM: Per the headband time, 43 mins. Light sleep: 2 hrs. 7 mins. Deep sleep: 1 hr. 1 min. Dreams: I dreamt I was at my uncle’s beach club in Italy and then I got bit by a fish and I started bleeding. That’s when I woke up. A.M. or P.M. Uh, night. Definitely.

Feeling sleepy? We’ve got a Zeo and it might have your name on it. Tell us what kind of dog Eno is and it’s yours. E-mail your answer to swindle@dailycandy.com.

www.myzeo.com

09 18, 2009 07:00 PM

Read This Carefully

FIT FOR PRINT

NYC Fashion Week is over. But if you want some more NYC fun, try strolling the streets of Little Italy — where you can eat fried Oreos, drink 64-ounce pina coladas, and pick up some of these almost designer gems.

09 18, 2009 06:15 PM

Lela Rose Takes Hers on the Rocks

CALLING CARD

Here’s something you don’t know about Lela Rose:

Lady makes a mean margarita.

The ready-to-wear designer is actually so jazzed about the beverage that she built a secret tequila cave below her Tribeca apartment.

And when we dropped by her house for squash blossoms and a drink (or three, to be exact), she had our glass rim salted and ready to go. We talked about her runway show (very Alex Katz from the ’70s), her love of textures (she’s designing a new apartment with rooms made of bamboo and felt), and NYC’s dining scene (this gal gets around to restaurants — mostly on a giant tricycle).

She was the most relaxed, laid-back, organized, got-her-shit-together kind of designer that we’ve come across. Frankly, it was inspiring. (If we ask her about it, she’ll probably blame the tequila.)

And now you can blame it, too …

Spicy Jalapeno Margaritas
Serves plenty

Ingredients
2 jalapenos deseeded and cut into large pieces
2 c. tequila (She prefers Patrón or Sauza Hornitos.)
2 c. fresh-squeezed lime juice (There is no substitute!)
1 c. Cointreau
2-5 tbsp. honey (depending on how sweet you like them)
Salt to taste

1. Soak the jalapeno in the tequila overnight — even in the tequila bottle! Strain jalapeno out of tequila and throw away.

2. Mix in lime juice (fresh-squeezed juice is best but may be done prior in the day), Cointreau, and honey.

3. Serve with salt and ample ice. (Room-temperature margaritas are never good!)

Roasted Tomatillo Salsa
Serves a party

Ingredients
1½ lb. tomatillos (about 10 medium to large)
1 medium white onion, roughly chopped
1 bunch cilantro (destemmed)
2 tbsp. fresh lime juice
½ tsp. sugar
1-2 jalapenos (deseeded)
Salt to taste

1. Roast tomatillos (husks removed) in broiler until skin is blackened.

2. When cool, put them into a food processor with onion, cilantro, lime juice, sugar, and jalapenos. Pulse until finely chopped.

3. Season to taste.

09 18, 2009 04:00 PM

Castor & Pollux Frees the Reins

CALLING CARD

We mean business (the daily e-mail publication is a grind, man). But if we’re going to horse around, we’d canter over to the equine-themed Castor & Pollux boutique. Owner Kerrilynn Pamer has created a cozy, West Village hang that just so happens to be stocked with choice pieces from our very favorite designers.

Pamer has also been working on a new website — which includes blogy culture posts, interviews with inspiring women, occasional food porn, and all-around gorgeous images (thanks to her hubby photographer). And it’s launching any moment!

Naturally we wanted to know what she had on her mind this minute:

1. Lee Bailey (in my opinion the king of gracious living) wrote loads of cookbooks, had a tabletop line, and is a really inspiring man.

2. My rescue dogs, Otto (pit bull mix) and Beba (Chihuahua mix) — and the Puerto Rican rescue group Los Amigos de los Animales that Beba came from (it’s such a wonderful organization).

3. Yuzu and chile paste from Japan that my friend Shino just brought back from Tokyo.

4. Varsity disposable fountain pens.

5. John von Pamer (my husband) pre-inauguration photos of Barack Obama at Mount Vernon.

6. Newest version of Castor & Pollux fragrance.

7. Hawaii stamps.

8. My newfound love for needlepointing.

9. Japanese fried chicken prepared at home.

10. Castor & Pollux wallet; it never ceases to amaze me how organized it keeps me.

www.castorandpolluxstore.com

09 18, 2009 02:00 PM

Canon of Good Taste

ART IN RESIDENCE

In an effort to avoid *real* fashion photographers — and to escape lugging around a giant camera we don’t know how to operate — we had to think big, er, small for Fashion Week.

Thankfully, our friends at Canon had a solution: a tiny camera big on precision.

We happily shot everything from runway shots to street scenes on borrowed PowerShot SD1200 IS Digital Elphs. The newest edition to the diminutive point-and-shoots didn’t let us down! We took full advantage of its ten megapixels and 3X optical zoom (especially from the back row at bigger shows). We’re sad to send them back. But we’ll smile and say cheese thank you!

For more information, go to canon.com.

09 18, 2009 01:30 PM

Getting Steamy Backstage

SWINDLE

Spa maven Cygalle Dias treated the models backstage at Charlotte Ronson to a luxe mini facial inspired by a popular treatment she offers at her Cygalle Healing Spa in the Dominican Republic. It goes a little something like this:

Step 1: Take off makeup with Cygalle’s organic chamomile remover (with a purified spring water pH balanced to avoid irritation or stinging).

Step 2: Wash with honey oatmeal cleanser (which moisturizes and promotes elasticity).

Step 3: Polish skin with cranberry antioxidant toner (the biocomplex vitamin C enhances texture and appearance).

Step 4: Slather on raspberry moisturizer (with Amazonian butter, omega 3 and 6, and vitamins C and E — which revitalizes skin and deters free radicals).

Step 5: The Gold Leaf Intensive Eye Treatment will hydrate and smooth fine lines around the eyes and lips.

You can pretty much duplicate the regimen at home, since all the products are available at cygallehealingspastore.com. 

Or, try to win the mini facial kit by correctly answering this question: Why do facialists use steam?

Don’t think too hard about it, people. Send your best guess to swindle@dailycandy.com. We’ll select a winner at random.

09 18, 2009 12:30 PM

Anything but Questionable

RINGSIDE

Could a show have left a happier or more uplifted crowd than did the one put on by Mr. Isaac Mizrahi yesterday afternoon? What did we do without him showing under the tents all this time? Why send the models in a straight line when they can navigate a charming obstacle course that encompasses a staircase, rain shower, and diagonals? Is there a better way to be transported to Deauville in the ’20s? What magnificent musicians performed that jazzy original composition right there beside us? Will a boater look as good on us? Does Isaac want to be friends? Is that spun-fabric flower real? Would they know if we stole that purple dress? Was the man with the umbrella drunk?

www.isaacmizrahiny.com

09 18, 2009 12:00 PM

Belt It Out

RINGSIDE

Paint-splatter swirls, inkblots, purple and ecru dots, and tiger ikat prints had our heads swishing every which way. How would one designer unite so many eye-popping patterns?

Easy peasy, lemon squeezy – L.A. sweetheart Geren Lockhart literally tied her spring looks together with an inventive collection of rivet-laden and hole-punched obi belts. Paired with everything from jumpers and dresses to the almighty harem pant, the lengthy sashes and bows added a casual, yet feminine touch. Sure to put another notch on your … well, you know.

09 18, 2009 11:00 AM

Mic Check, 1, 2, 1, 2

WORD ON THE STREET

09 18, 2009 10:00 AM

Flowers in the Attic

RINGSIDE

We could never pull off Grandma’s pearls, purses, and pumps like Peter Som’s models did this Fashion Week. For spring Som resurrected incredibly classic cuts with unusually bold prints.

Saturated floral tops, cinched waists, and an Audrey-inspired little black dress evoked everyday glamour. A black promenade jacket draped over high-waisted swim shorts screamed pinup girl. For a contemporary twist to traditional gear, a silver field jacket was paired with a yellow mini.

And while our untamed creativity as little girls may have given us confidence in the attic, the white leather jacket and go-go boots were locked up for a reason.