Some people have jobs so cool we'd actually enjoy attending their marathon Zoom meetings. Even the ones that could totally have been an email.
Not to say we don't cherish our all-important responsibility of bringing you every last piece of need-to-know information about the casts of Bridgerton and The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City, but we don't have our own glam squad or a Rolodex filled with famous names, now do we?
But the impossibly cool people we'll be profiling in E! News' latest series totally do. Plus access to things like private drivers, designer garb and the type of professional titles we'd drop with wild abandon at parties, dinner dates or while chatting with the barista at Starbucks. Welcome to A Day in the Life...
Vacay vibes are great and all, but home is truly where designer Patricia Bonaldi's heart is. As in, her native Brazil where the 41-year-old launched her fashion career, opening a store in the small country town of Uberlândia that led to her fielding requests for custom gowns and, eventually, crafting full lines of couture pieces.
"Here in the U.S., people know me for resort collections," the PatBo founder and creative director explains of her previous runways filled with tropical-inspired hues and flirty cut-outs. "But I started my career doing evening wear."
She'd been waiting for the "the perfect timing, the perfect collection" to share her background and she'd found it while putting together her collection for New York Fashion Week's slate of Fall/Winter 2022 shows.
Crafting every piece at her Uberlândia factory near where she'd created a school to teach aspiring designers her detailed embroidery skills, "I wanted to tell my story through the collection and this was the opportunity," she explains of her Feb. 12 runway show, "and I think we did it."
Hours after celebrating her success, the designer—who splits her time between Uberlândia, São Paulo and New York City—walked E! News through the big reveal, including all the moments she hopes to permanently stitch into her memories.
8 a.m. (EST) Performance anxiety? Perhaps a little. When Patricia wakes at her normal time, she has "a lot of nerves!" the onetime law student admits. Which is why her daily om practice is especially necessary. "People say yoga is for the Zen," explains Patricia, who sweats her way through a private session in her New York City apartment. "I say, 'No, I'm not Zen, that's why I need yoga!'"
9 a.m. Once the sun salutations and savasana have had the time to work their magic, she sits down to a plate of eggs and salad. "For me, it's the most important meal so I never skip it," Patricia notes. "Especially for a show, I wanted a very healthy breakfast." Her drink of choice: decaf coffee. Says Patricia, "It's been a year that I haven't had caffeine."
Living life sans additive is only one secret behind her glowing skin and lack of eye circles. As a pre-show treat, Patricia booked a Feb 11 hydrafacial at Ever/Body in New York's Soho neighborhood. "It was a moment for me to stop and relax," she raves. "I really needed it, especially right before a show."
As a result, she continues, "I felt like I was already glowing, so the morning of the show, all I needed was hair and makeup, which I had done in my apartment."
11 a.m. All dressed up with somewhere important to go, Patricia arrives at the venue she and her show director have been dreaming about using for the past year: The stunningly grandiose marble atrium of the Surrogate's Courthouse in Lower Manhattan.
"We had looked at it for last season but that collection was more summery," she shares of the space. "As soon as we knew we were showing in February, we said, 'That's the one.' It was the perfect marriage between a venue and a collection."
12 p.m. With the likes of Olivia Palermo ("She's a huge fan of the brand and has been wearing a lot of the clothes") and Nicky Hilton situated in the front row alongside the friends who have supported Patricia from the beginning, it's showtime!
The moment the lights dim is one the designer will be playing on a loop for some time. "I wish I could live that forever," she raves, recalling how she thought about husband Luiz Morais and "how we started this brand together 20 years ago. I was feeling so thankful. I wanted to share this with him because we deserve this moment. It was a beautiful moment in my head."
3 p.m. A close second in her memory bank: The carbs served up at the celebratory lunch she enjoyed with Luiz and some pals a mile away at Casa Cipriani. "I'm half Italian so pasta is always a good idea," she says of the menu, which also includes a great deal of chocolate for dessert "and champagne—a lot."
9 p.m. Following an outfit change (obvs!) and a glam touch-up, the toasting continues at her afterparty inside private members' club Zero Bond. Her mood best described as joyous ("This day was like, wow, everything happening!"), Patricia parties with her crew until midnight: "It was so fun, I danced the whole time."
Perhaps that's why she finds her mind still in motion hours later, unable to fall asleep until 4 a.m. Three hours later, "I'm, like, catatonic," she admits of waking up at 7 a.m. and committing to a relaxing Sunday. "I am still processing."
There's little rest for the weary, though. Monday brings a slew of budgeting, marketing and other planning meetings. "We need to debrief everything and plan for the next one," Patricia explains of the fashion industry's breakneck pace. "So it's time to get back to work, work, work!"