Red lipstick, high heels and quiche

No wheat, no dairy, no calories? Kirsty Buttfield went backstage at London Fashion Week to find out what models really eat

9.30pm, London. Backstage at designer J.Maskrey's post-catwalk show party

The designer

J. Maskrey

'I've eaten nothing today. No, that's not true. I picked up a sandwich on my way in, and I ate a piece of fruit and some quiche a few hours ago. I managed to get six hours' sleep last night, which isn't bad considering I'm living on adrenaline right now. I always try to eat well in the week leading up to the fashion collections - lots of Chinese noodles - but also plenty of champagne. Champagne and tequila are my favourite pick-me-ups. Champagne's a very girly drink, and tequila gets my brain going for a late night. I'm not drinking much tonight because I fly to New York tomorrow for New York Fashion Week.'

The fashion editor

Karl Plewka works for Interview magazine

'I've eaten absolutely nothing today, but I've had vodka with Red Bull, and champagne. My colonic irrigationist tells me off, but when I get busy I simply forget to eat. I haven't eaten meat for 16 years, and I avoid wheat and dairy. But if I'm hungover, I eat loads of trash. It's a myth that models don't eat. The first thing they ask when they arrive at a show or studio is always "Where's the food?". It's the skinniest girls who tend to eat the most. You won't find these models taking drugs. Things are very different from the way they were in the Eighties. Stylists and designers lead the wilder lives these days. If I was a model, eyebrows would be raised about my lifestyle.'

The male model

Jimmy Pearce, 23

'For breakfast, I had a potato waffle between two slices of bread and loads of ketchup. I'm broke so I didn't eat anything else until I came here for the show. Then I had a (free) sausage sandwich with onion. Oh, and loads of Red Bull and cigarettes (Red Bull are sponsoring the event). Now I'm on to the champagne because the show is over - I always take advantage of the free stuff. I watch what I eat, but not because I'm a model. I try to eat fish and vegetables, and not too much oily stuff. If I make myself a cooked breakfast, the only things I fry are the eggs. The rest goes under the grill. Doing the catwalk shows is a laugh. But I've only done two this week. Those models who do 10 shows during fashion week must be knackered. Some of the last-minute fittings with the designers don't end until 2am, so no one gets much sleep.'

The teenage model

Lynsey Clark, 17

'I've done five shows this fashion week. I'll eat anything - usually sandwiches. I don't like to eat before eight or nine o'clock in the morning so, if I'm up at six for a show, I'll wait until I get to work before I eat anything. This morning I had Bran Flakes with banana at home, and a chocolate bar on the way here. Since then I've had a piece of quiche and a couple of sandwiches backstage. Tonight I'll have a proper meal at home As far as alcohol goes, I'm usually quite good - I try not to drink much when I'm working every day. In a few weeks I'm off to Milan and Paris, so I'll be really busy. It's exhausting work because I'm often up very early, and running around London for fittings. There are lots of 6am starts. I try my best to get at least seven hours' sleep a night. My favourite food is pasta, although I can't really have that after 3pm, as then I really will get fat.'

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