Interview With Joy Bryant And Padma Lakshmi: Joy Dirty Dances And Padma Carries Pens In Her Birkin Bag…

[Padma Lakshmi, Alice Temperley, Joy Bryant. Photos by Patrick McMullan] Alice Temperley debuted her Spring 2010 collection at Milk Studios during fashion week with inspiration drawing from darkly theatrical circus performers from the 1920s and 30s. A few good fashion revelers came to take in Temperley’s designs like Top Chef’s Padma Lakshmi, Derek Blasberg, Fabiola Beracasa, The MisShapes’ Leigh Lezark, and beachwear designer Pooneh Mohazzabi. I caught up with model/actress Joy Bryant to get the 411 on Kanye and to find out some ways in which Patrick Swayze inspired her. After that I chased down model/cookbook author and TopChef co-host, Padma Lakshmi, as she was fleeing Milk Studios to get to a dinner…

By then my voice recorder was frozen and I told Padma we might not be able to do the interview. She fished a pen out of her Birkin and said, “Why don’t you do the interview the old fashioned way.” All Fashion Week I have been asking people if they’ve seen any Random Acts of Kindness – and here I was, the recipient of one. I got the interview!

——

Douglas Marshall: What did you think about the Kanye West snub of Taylor Swift in favor of promoting Beyonce?

Joy Bryant: Well I didn’t actually see it because I was traveling, but I heard all about it.

DM: Do you have any thoughts on that?

JB: (hesitantly) Not really.

DM: Don’t worry I won’t print anything bad; I’m not like that. If you were in Beyonce’s position, what would you have done?

JB: I love Beyonce. I think she is an incredible and amazing woman. She was very classy about the whole situation. She’s a class act.

DM: So Fashion Week is winding down and there are a lot of people who are out late at parties and shows. People start to get run down and need a little help. Have you seen any random acts of kindness during Fashion Week where people help each other out?

JB: You mean if someone forgets double stick tape and they are falling out of a dress? I saw that a lot.

DM: In your experience have you ever seen any random acts of bitchiness during Fashion Week?

JB: I think because it gets so crazy and there is so much going on when everyone is “doing” fashion week, you end up running around like a chicken with your head cut off. Whether you are a quote unquote “celebrity”, fashionista or an editor – everyone’s trying to get it all done so there is a heightened sense of whatever is already going on in New York…the bitchiness is always there.

DM: So regarding Patrick Swayze – either you were really young or not even born when the movie Dirty Dancing was big?

JB: I’m a lot older than you think, darling.

DM: Well then what’s your beauty secret because you look good to me?

JB: My grandmother always had really amazing skin so it’s part genetics. I think I have a sunny disposition; that might help. I mean, my name is Joy so I kind of have to smile all the time.

DM: So did you ever have a crush on Patrick Swayze?

JB: Oh my gosh, of course. Totally!!!

DM: So when you were younger with your friends did you fantasize about that famous scene in the move or even reenact that scene?

JB: I can’t actually tell you one thing because I would really incriminate myself but yes I was definitely a fan of Patrick Swayze. I mean I never hooked up with him or anything.

DM: So are you saying you relived that scene in your own way from the movie?

JB: EXACTLY; In many ways.

DM: And how old were you? Old enough to vote or no?

JB: No. (laughing)

DM: So you’re fun and you were a very fun teenager.

JB: (Laughs even harder).

DM: Clearly it’s Fashion Week and a lot of people are trying to look chic and thin which results in a lot of starvation diets. You are a model and you work around food a lot, do you have any tips for healthy eating during fashion week?

Padma Lakshmi: I don’t advocate starving yourself. I try to eat four small meals a day and if I can’t get to a meal I carry fruit or nuts in my bag.

DM: So your mini Birkin is ‘lunch on the go’.

PL: No, my Birkin IS my lunch box.

DM: So the small meals from your purse are how you stay this fit?

PL: Well, I’m actually 10 pounds above my normal weight because we just got through filming top chef and I always gain wait when we film.

DM: Because they have a really good craft services table?

PL: NO, because I have to try all the foods that the contestants cook so that I can judge them and they recipes aren’t exactly model food.

DM: Duh, that makes sense.

After telling me she liked my outfit and I looked cute she picked up a copy of The Daily to show me her jewelry line ad in the mag that is sold at Bergdorf. She then hopped into her car to go to a charity dinner that she was hosting with the Mayor.