When designer Rachel Roy was 14, she says, she was so eager to work in fashion that she stalked Contempo Casuals at the mall until she secured a job that turned into a managing position. She got her break in design rising from an intern to creative director at Rocawear, where she later met ex-husband Damon Dash. But slogging through jobs in retail and as a stylist after college (“I did really horrible magazines that don’t even exist anymore”) helped her balance “the art and the commerce.” So how does Roy balance her diet as a posh single mom with two little girls?
Saturday, May 30
For breakfast I always have fennel tea with lemon, and then I always drink tons of water in the morning because I run.
Saturday I really didn’t have time to have breakfast. I have two girls—Ava (9) and Tallulah (1)— and it’s just busy, busy, busy with both of them, especially if I have somewhere to go. I’m also a single mom, so I’m getting them ready by myself. Saturday we went to the Polo Classic. There were plates on the table, and you helped yourself. I had artichokes and chicken breast, and the Champagne they were serving was amazing, amazing, amazing vintage Veuve Clicquot. Ava had ice cream and the snacks that she brought in her little purse; she always carries her own little supplies because she knows that she needs a book, a crossword puzzle, and her snacks.
For dinner: sushi from Whole Foods Tribeca. I always get the brown rice with either crab, or salmon, or shrimp, cucumber, and avocado. So I got all three of those, which Ava and I shared. After that we had a huge bowl of red cherries and popcorn because it was movie night. Tallulah’s one so she’s a milk and a bottle girl at this point. Actually that’s not fair—she loves raspberries, and she had the cherries cut up. She pretty much eats what I eat, just a really tiny amount. We watched 13 Going on 30.
Sunday, May 31
Fennel tea with lemon, lots of water, then coffee with a brown sugar packet and skim milk.
Lunch was ‘Mom’s Chicken Soup’ from Whole Foods and sourdough bread. I went to church over by Central Park, so I went to Central Park and Lee’s Art Shop.
I had a coffee sometime in late afternoon, then I fixed snacks outside on the roof: Edamame, and Manchego cheese with some whole-wheat crisps with raw salt on them. Whole Foods puts them out by the cheese. They look like cardboard, but they actually don’t taste like cardboard—they’re delicious.
For dinner: cold salmon, cold peas, and brown rice. The salmon is made with herbs, basil, lemon, and butter; it doesn’t need much.
Monday, June 1
Again the same thing: fennel tea with lemon, lots of water, and an egg-white omelette with green peppers, onions, mushrooms.
I had coffee in between breakfast and lunch.
For lunch I had minestrone soup at the office. I don’t know where it’s from. My assistant orders it; I’m terrible. With that I had strawberries and poured cream, heavy cream, basically.
I ordered coffee for the middle of the afternoon.
The dinner was at Minetta. A girlfriend that I was seeing just suggested where to go, so I didn’t realize it was such a hot spot till I got there. I saw Eric Ripert, the chef of that amazing fish restaurant uptown, which is one of my favorite restaurants; everything he does is just heaven. At Minetta, I ordered their halibut, Champagne to drink, and sorbet. The Champagne just kept coming that night.
We didn’t go out after. It was kind of a long process: you come, we didn’t call beforehand and didn’t realize how busy it was, so then you sit at the bar, and you chat, and then you have dinner and you chat, and so by then it’s late.
Tuesday, June 2
Same thing for breakfast: water and tea.
For lunch, I had a sandwich with tomato, avocado, and chicken on a really great whole-wheat bread.
That took me throughout the day. I didn’t have time for anything until I went to an opening of an exhibit at the Met, the Vacheron Constantin unveiling of “Metiers d’Art Les Masques.” It was a sit-down dinner, and I just had the vegetarian plate because I don’t eat deer or any kind of animal like that and that’s what they’re serving. Then I went to Hotel Griffou, which is a new restaurant on West 9th Street. I just made it in time for their dessert plate, which was amazing. I just had the chocolate-chip cookie and chocolate wedges. I think I had one glass of Champagne to drink. For dinners or on weekdays, I would say Champagne is my favorite drink. If I’m on an island, of course it’s a different story, I want a more island type of drink.
