T Lo Interviews Peach Carr

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Chatting on the Phone with Heidi

We're totally BFFs now!

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T Lo Interviews: Seth Aaron Henderson

We never did come up with a good nickname for him, did we?

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T Lo Interviews Pandora Boxx

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T Lo Interviews: Morena Baccarin

SQUEEEEEE!!!!!!

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T Lo Interviews Maya

Secrets of the Maya revealed!

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T Lo Interviews Jay McCarroll

Skinny Jaybird.

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T Lo Interviews: Merle Ginsberg

Our girl Merle opens up about everything.

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T Lo Interviews WesFeld

We're so proud of our little gay pretend nephews!

Darlings, when we announced that S5 Project Runway contestants Daniel Feld and Wesley Nault won the Plastics Make it Possible design contest with two stunningly beautiful dresses, we knew we had to set the little nippers down and have a chat. So that's what we did.

Congratulations on winning the Plastics Make it Possible design contest!
DF: Thank you.

WN: Thanks so much.

Can you tell us a little bit about the dresses? Like where you got the inspiration for the designs?
DF: Sure, one of the first winning looks was inspired by a trilobite, which is a fossil and definitely there’s a little bit of a seahorse inspiration. So we definitely studied those structures and made them into panels and we wanted them to look pretty so we used a plastic interface and heated that up so it could curve. It comes from millinery so it really gave us the dimensions we wanted.

It must have been difficult to make the garments entirely out of plastic. Was there ever a time where you wished you could switch out the materials?
DF: Absolutely. But specifically for this dress it was definitely more of a good thing because we wouldn’t have been able to get the dimensions we wanted without the plastic on top. I mean the interfacing is kind of the key for the texture of the dress. We really wouldn’t have changed anything as far as that goes.

WN: We started the two dresses before we even heard of the competition. It just so happened that they would be entirely made out of plastic and then when we heard about the competition we thought it was perfect for us.

How long did it take to make these dresses?
DF: The gray one took about three weeks because each piece is hand stitched onto the dress; it took a lot of work. And the other dress took about 2 weeks.

And who does what in the design and execution process or do you both just trade off tasks constantly?
DF: We actually both get really excited with the inspiration and we both kind of went off with it and we looked at books and did research on the web and we were both like, “Why don’t we do this,” or “Why don’t we do that,” and then we just both worked on it as a team. So we work really well together.

Okay, we have a question that we want each of you to answer. We’ll start with Daniel. What does Wesley bring to your collaboration?
DF: Definitely the excitement over the inspiration and design. I mean, we both get really excited, but it’s a nice thing because with him there, it’s like, this is not just a crazy idea because I know I have someone there who’s just as excited about it. That’s probably the best thing because it gets us both motivated. I feel like we bring a balance to each other, which is a great thing.

Wesley, same question to you. What does Daniel bring to the table?
WN: Well, I look at things more mathematically, and Daniel is a bit more free about things, like draping. It’s actually a complement because I can be very restrained with stuff and he kind of loosens things up and make them more free. He’s a little more whimsical.

We were pleasantly surprised when we saw the dresses because neither of you were on Project Runway long enough for us to get a sense of you as designers. Do these dresses represent a step forward for you two or is it just a case of finally getting to show the world what you’re about?
DF: Well the thing is, when you’re on Project Runway you have like six hours to make a garment. I take my time and I’ll go back and change things and being put under that kind of pressure, I mean, for me it’s hard to work like that. At times I thought it would be a piece of cake, but I can be indecisive; I’m constantly questioning things until I get to the point where I’m happy with it, and even then I wind up questioning.

It’s hard to show what you really can do on Project Runway, at least for me.

Tell us a little bit about your label WesFeld. How do you see it?
We definitely see it as clothes that you would have a conversation over. We want to get people to talk by showing something interesting with a story behind it, like what it was inspired by, or about the fabrics or the structure.

You guys have a new studio now, correct?
DF: Yeah, we have a studio in Brooklyn, which is a great place to work and a great space for us.

Tell us about the collection you’re showing at Gen Art.
DF: It’s inspired by things that was up on the shore and get bleached out by the sun. If you ever look at a seashell, you can see the calcium deposits whiten up under the sun. They’re these muted tones that look kind of like they’re decaying under the sun. You get these muted grays and purples and ivories. So we were inspired by that color palette as well as the things you find on the beach. For instance, one of the dresses was inspired by a conch shell and it’s very structured but at the same time the structure we created for it is very flowy. The way we constructed the dress and the way it moves and the ruffles cascade almost make it look like it’s frozen in movement, the way the structure of a seashell looks. There’s also a lot of gradiated colors, so you’ll see a lot of ombres. And then we have some pieces that were inspired by sand and a piece that was inspired by sea urchins.

WN: We’re almost creating personalities for each garment.

How many pieces are you showing at Gen Art?
WN: We’re going to be showing ten looks all together.

DF: Ten looks for the show and then an outfit for Molly Sims. [T Lo: Molly Sims is hosting the Gen Art event.]

Oh, and then we’re also doing a dress out of condoms for Lifestyle. I think that’ll be in the foyer at the event. They shipped over 4,000 condoms. We’ve been working with the latex and dying it and stretching it to see what kind of different properties you can get out of it. It’ll be fun.

Who needs fabric?
WN: Not when you have plastic and condoms.

So, are you all done and ready for the show?
[laughter]
WN: There’s your answer.

Well we can’t wait to see the collection and meet up with you next week.
DF: Awesome.
WN: We look forward to meeting you in person. And thanks so much!
________
And not only are WE going to the Gen Art event, thanks to the fine folks at Plastics Make it Possible, so are two of you. And those two people are ... Megatron and Brooklyn Bomber! Congrats, ladies! You are not required to wear plastic to the event but we would think it was really funny if you did. We of course will be there, twittering our asses off. Expect a post next week looking at all the dresses at the event, including the WesFeld collection.

Dress pictures courtesy of Plastics Make it Possible

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T Lo Interviews Ping Wu

Ping like ping pong and Wu like "Wooo!"

Darlings, from the minute we first encountered Ping in her audition video for Project Runway, we knew she was going to become a much talked-about member of the S7 cast. Since everything from her personal style to her designs to her auf'ing have been discussed far more than any other contestant in a while, we figured we'd whip out our inner Barbara Walters and give it a go.

So you left China when you were 17?
Yes, I came to the United States from Chengdu, China, alone as a teenager. I went to the University of Pittsburgh, I lived there for 3 years studying English, while I was there, I was double-majoring in Biology and Psychology. I also went to SUNY Buffalo to study Physical Therapy.

When did you discover your passion for fashion?
I truly believe that everyone has a gift. I always loved craft works ever since I was a little girl. I was very good with my fingers [laughs]. I’ve always liked to create things, but I didn’t realize that it really was a sign that I could be a good designer. Of course, I went to all the best schools that I could possibly go to. I was very comfortable being a physical therapist, but I had a lot of spare time and I was alone, I’m still alone [laughs] so I worked from 9 to 5 and then “what do I do?” from 6 until the next morning? I took some arts classes, including ceramic, I also picked up my childhood love, hand knitting, and I also made greeting cards.

My friend convinced me to go to farmers' market with her to sell my cards. I realized that my customers were all professors in the arts field and they bought as many as I could produce. So I was thinking, “Well, if I can make two-dimensional paper greeting cards, I bet I can make clothes.” It’s a different medium but you just turn that into a three-dimensional column and it is clothes. I hand-made my own clothes because I didn’t understand the pattern book and everybody loved it. I thought that if I could make clothes without any training and people like them I guess I could do a much better job if I studied it professionally.

Where did you study fashion?
I enrolled in the Istituto Marangoni in Milan, Italy. After I completed my studies in Fashion Design, I interned with designer Luisa Beccaria in Milan and later with BLESS in Paris.

And in March 2007 you were invited to participate in the Qi Pai Cup Costume Creation Contest during Beijing’s International Fashion Week.
After I finished my internship in Paris, purely by luck, I was invited to this amazing international fashion week with these seven famous Chinese designers but nobody knew me [laughs]. My clothes were so different, the judges just loved them. The reason why I wanted to participate was that the winner of each category would win a chance to show their collection in this trade show called Premiere Classe in Paris. The salon director loved my collection so she told me that even though I didn’t win she would invite me to the show in Paris and she did.

That’s amazing.
They didn’t know that I was just a freshly graduated student. I had no business established but I did not miss that chance. I took some business classes during the evening for several months. I gathered all the business knowledge I needed or at least to make myself more confident to set up a business, I created the entire collection and went to Paris in September 2007 for the show.

Is that true that the Chicago Museum of Contemporary Art bought the entire collection?
That’s true. They were my first customers. I still thank them until this day. They were the ones who discovered me. What happened was that one day I went to their store wearing my own clothes just to check on the museum, so the buyer for accessories immediately saw me and asked me about my outfit and I told her I had made it. She was intrigued and asked if I made anything else. I told her that I made accessories. She made an appointment with me the next day and she bought my entire collection.

We love that hat shown in the casting video. Is knitting your main thing?
Thank you. Actually, my interests are much broader than just knitting. I chose knitting for my current line because it’s the easiest way to manufacture your own textiles. It’s the easiest way to produce the shape you want, to create the patterns quickly; all you need is two needles and you can go anywhere with it. I’m also interested in bamboo, weaving techniques with, also high-tech materials.

You also make jewelry.
Yes, I also do jewelry. I have very high standards for the kind of look I want to achieve and sometimes to create the looks I want I really need equipment and materials and for now I’m not ready to produce really high-quality pieces.

Why did you decide to be on the show?
My colleagues have been bugging me to get on the show for a couple of years, ever since I returned to America from Europe. I never felt connected to Project Runway because I was doing mainly accessories. I only make clothes in the spare time that I have for myself. I’m always busy doing a lot of things and during the application period I had some free time and looking for thing to fill up my schedule so I decided to try. Worst case scenario, they don’t choose me.

Did you enjoy the experience?
Yes, for sure. Thousands of people applied and only sixteen of us were selected; the entire America meeting little Ping. It was quite an honor. I think I’m the first native Chinese designer being selected.

You have an impressive resume obviously, and you’re quite talented, and yet you were eliminated so soon. What do you think went wrong?
Well, a few people told me that my design style doesn’t fit in what the majority of the American audience thinks. It’s not the kind of style that people are used to seeing. I also think that in the last challenge wasn’t a very successful team work. I think that’s the main reason why I was eliminated. A lot of things didn’t air, but I had a lot of problems during that challenge.

Do you think if it hadn’t been a team challenge you’d still be on the show?
I mean, of course. Life cannot be replayed or repeated, but I think it if had been my own work, genuine work, genuine design…even if I had been sent home anyway, I wouldn’t feel the same. I took 100% of the consequences, it was my responsibility, but the work wasn’t 100% mine. I had much more interesting designs before that I made. It was just complicated to make the team work towards the vision that I wanted. I had to compromise for the team to move on.

How was it working with Jesse?
It was very difficult to work with Jesse. When I chose him, I purely chose him for his skills. Before that challenge, he appeared to be a very quiet, nice guy. I thought he was humble [Laughs]. Oh my god, I thought we were a perfect team and that my vision was my strength. I thought we could both contribute with different sets of skills and make this brilliant work. He could not understand my vision, how to realize my design. He forced me to listen to him, he forced to go into directions he wanted. I don’t hate him by any means, I don’t know him personally, but I think as a team you have to respect…I’m taking the majority of the responsibility, you’re my team member, you were chosen by me, you should follow me. He was against me every step. It was very sad, very sad.

It didn’t help that the model complained about you.
See, they cut my reply during the final airing, which also made me quite upset. When she said that I was very calm, I didn’t blame her or anything. I said to the judges that we worked as a team. We have two designers, two models. I was trying out my garment on the first model. It is not unreasonable to expect Jesse to work on his design with his model who worked with him in the previous two challenges. He knows her body the best. Why did I have to do everything by myself? I was busy with one model, why couldn’t he take care of the other one?

Do you think you went home because of Jesse?
I could’ve told the judges what was truly going on behind the curtains, but I didn’t. There’s a reason why the final looks don’t even match and it’s not my fault. It’s because I’m Chinese, I never sell my team mates. I never disclose problems with my team mates. If I tell the judges two, three things that happened, does that make me a better person? I don’t think so.

Did he spend a lot of time teaching you how to sew?
Well, that’s another thing that they cut off of my response. Immediately after he said that I said, “Why don’t you tell the judges what you have taught me?” and he was silent. His interpretation of my style is just putting fabrics on. That’s absolutely not what my style really is, even though it does look drape-y as if there were no skills involved.

We have to say that a lot of people feel that your designs are nothing but draped fabrics on the body. What do you have to say in your defense?
I think that’s a very superficial judgment. It’s the same level as Jesse’s interpretation of my design style. I think there are multiple solutions to a problem, any given problem. The simplest solution is the most difficult to find. It’s the cleverest way to solve the problem. So, I think a real good design, a smart design is the one that people go “Wow, why didn’t I think of that?” I designed that first look without a single cut because I didn’t have enough fabric. It’s problem solving. You want to make complicated pieces look effortless. Same thing with my accessories, they are very easy to make. If I told you the trick you’d think that it was so easy. It’s still functional and gorgeous. That’s a skill. There’s intelligence involved. If you think from a business point of view, if you spend less time introducing your product, you save a lot of money and you can produce much more. It’s much more profitable.

When you were crying on the runway you said that Anthony turned to you and said “Don’t ever change, Ping.”
Yes, he did. I knew I was going to be eliminated if I didn’t betray or disclose the internal problems with Jesse. I was prepared and calm. I was so glad that he said that, I love Anthony. I love Seth Aaron. He looked very scary in the beginning but he’s a very sweet guy. After he gave me a hug he whispered that to me. That made me feel very special and I started to cry.

So, what’s next for Ping?
I think I walked a long way before the show. I’m an extremely hard worker, so that’s not going to change because of the show. I will continue my career, my passion for creating designs. Huge commercial success is not my priority, to be honest with you. There are many ways to make money. I live a good life just being a physical therapist. The reason why I pursue fashion design it’s because I really feel that it fits my soul, I can bring something different, unique to this world. I will definitely continue this and I will not base my success on a show. I think you have to earn every bit of your success.

You’re very talented, you have a very unique style and we wish you all the best.
Thank you, guys.


[Photos: myLifetime.com]


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T Lo Interviews Nina Garcia

You heard us!

That's right, ladies. We've been sitting on this one for awhile, waiting for the Dec/Jan issue of Metrosource to come out so we could reveal all. Metrosource has a more-scaled down version of this interview but we could have talked on the phone with Nina for hours, so what you see here is mostly the supplemental stuff, only for T Lo minion eyes. We think of all our favorite things to happen with this blog, near the top would be what happened when the press person who arranged this interview said "Nina, you're on the line with Tom and Lorenzo from Project Rungay," and she said:

Project Rungay? I LOVE you guys!

You have no idea how happy that makes us!
No, really! I love you guys! I read you guys!

Well, right now, you’re the number one reason to watch the show, at least for us. We love you and we love what you do. We’re huge fans.
Thank you!

You’re somewhat unique among fashion editors because you’re Latin American. Most of them tend to be American or European. Do you think that’s an important part of your success?
It’s very important. People always ask me that, especially South American or Latin American people – or any nationality – they ask me how I dealt with that being in the states. I've always been proud of my heritage and that’s what made me really different and what’s given me my strength; the fact that I was a little different. I didn’t take being from Latin America as an obstacle, I saw it as a bonus, as an addition, because it gave me a different perspective on how to view fashion.

It also helped that Latin American women place a lot of importance on femininity and looking their best, right?
It did. It absolutely did. Traditionally, Latin American women spend a lot of time getting beautiful and spend a lot of time getting dressed so that is partof the heritage. And to be honest there’s a lot of Latin Americans or people from a Latin American background in America at the moment.

For instance, Brazil. Love Brazil. Loved going down there with the crew from Running in Heels. I wish we’d had the crew there the whole time. Just imagine how much fun you can have in Rio! It’s crazy and it’s incredible what’s happening in terms of fashion down there because they’ve got very talented designers and very good accessories are coming out of Brazil. Forget that they have the most beautiful models coming out of Brazil, but I find that the fashion is really honest.

How are things at Marie Claire? All settled in?
It’s fantastic. They’re a great group of girls and they love to have fun. Joanna is very funny. She has a great sense of humor but at the same time she’s extremely smart.

Give us the fashion editor's summary of the Spring '10 shows.
It’s back to the romantic, it’s back to femininity, the colors are very pale, there’s a lot of lace and lot of transparency, so it’s back to a new kind of femininity. We’re leaving behind all this toughness and angry shoes and leather and it’s a much softer season for the spring.

Is there any trend that you don’t ever want to see on a man or women again?
Yeah, those mullet haircuts. I even see them on children!

How do you choose what to wear for Project Runway? You always look impeccable and you have fantastic accessories.
You know, it’s what’s in my wardrobe at the time. I try to not wear so much black, which is really hard because a lot of my wardrobe is black so I really have to struggle with not wearing too much black, but when I do I always try to have an accessory that compensates all the blackness. Because they don’t want us to wear black or white, or black and white together, which is 80% of my wardrobe.

Do you still get excited with each new season and group of designers?
Yeah. You know, the process of creativity and the creation of a garment is what fascinates me about fashion. And that is ever-evolving, especially in a show like Project Runway. To see that process happen year after year is always exciting for me. That’s what I love to do; I love to see new designers. That’s what I do at my job and that’s what PR is about. So I love that.

You're the judge that viewers respect; the tough one. Do you think you get more flexible or more strict with each season?
I think a little more strict because I have seen it all and heard all the excuses by now. “I didn’t have time,” “My dog ate the fabric,” whatever. You know, “Tim Gunn told me I shouldn’t do this,” I’ve heard the excuses. So, I think a little stricter.

Ever regret anything you said?
Sometimes I regret being a little too caustic, because I don’t want to discourage anybody about being a designer. I remember when we had a moment with Santino, I don’t even know if this was filmed or not. You know, Santino and I had a LOT of altercations, near the end towards the last challenge, he said something to the effect that “Maybe this isn’t the profession for me,” and I was devastated that he would say that. The last thing I want to do is discourage anybody from their dreams. I don’t want to be so tough that people would say, “Well I don’t want to get into this industry,” period. The end.

Without naming any names (because we know you won’t name any names) were there any contestants that you thought shouldn’t be in this industry?
(Laughs) Yes. Oh, yes.

What is your favorite PR moment?
The cornhusk dress! I mean, Mr. Yves Saint Laurent himself! Austin Scarlett was just brilliant, the way he looked, the way he spoke and that cornhusk dress was a fantastic, memorable moment.

Do people stop you in public and say mean things to you?
In the beginning, yes. Now, no. Now people are very nice but the first season I remember going to a party in New York and there was a man seated at a table with me – it was a sit-down dinner – and he said, “You’re that mean judge on that show,” and I was appalled.

Is there any particular designer that’s up and coming on your radar right now?
There are so many. Erdem, Giles Deacon, Christopher Kane. I mean, we all know about the Rodarte girls, but if your readers don’t they should check them out. They’re incredibly talented.

What are the must-have items this season?
It’s all about the over-the-knee boots. It’s a great season to buy a jacket. If you don’t have one, buy one. There are a ton of great ones out there.

Do you have a favorite designer?
It varies from season to season. I can’t say, because it changes and that’s what’s so fantastic.

Are we going to see a lot of you for Season 7?
Yes, we’re all there all the time. Thank God, we’re back in New York!

How did you feel about the show being out in L.A. Does it change the tone of the show?
I’ll tell you what was hard about it. Being in L.A. was wonderful. I love L.A., and I thought it was a brilliant idea to take the show out to L.A. because there’s so much going on in fashion and the red carpet, for instance. However, neither Michael or myself were able to be there for the whole time. And what happened is when I come back, I’ve missed a bunch of challenges and I can’t follow the trajectory of the designer. It’s harder for me to know what they have done in the past so I’m judging them on what I’m seeing that moment. I have no history because I haven’t been there. Even if I ask my fellow judges what happened it’s not the same as when you see it yourself. It was hard.

What's the difference between L.A. and New York, fashion-wise?
L.A. is more about the red carpet, and it’s a more laid back style. But it’s a very influential and important style. Going back to the Rodarte girls, they have production out in L.A and they’re incredibly visionary designers. We can’t overlook that there are very talented designers coming out of L.A.

Thank you so much Nina.
Thank you! I’m so happy to hear the actual voices of Tom and Lorenzo!


[Photos: Getty Images/WireImage]


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T Lo Interviews Chris March

A chat with Sissy Bear about all things both Sissy and Bear.

We know a lot has happened since you were on Project Runway. Fill us in on your doings since.
Holy cow! Let's see, I'll give you a list, it'll go quicker...

-Finishing my book, "I Heart Chris March," which comes out this week!

-I have filmed two TV pilots to be the host of my own show (one is a fashion makeover show and one is about me and my crazy workshop), plus, a few other television offers on the table.

-I have done designs for Prince, and made costumes for the lovely Beyonce and her latest tour.

-Working on a line of women's ready-to-wear (hopefully to be sold on TV).

-Blogging about "Project Runway" on mylifetime.com, as well as my weekly video "Runway Rundown" on tvguide.com.

-The "drag" episode of PR on Season 5, and of course the "Project Runway All-Stars Challenge" earlier this year.

-A cameo in the upcoming film "Bear City" (a spoof of "Sex and the City" with big, hairy gay men!), and I also got an audition for "30 rock".

-Various TV, charity, and publicity appearances, including my favorite--being the costume contest judge at the season 3 premiere of "Mad Men" in Times Square!!

We're exhausted just reading that. You're also getting back into performing, right?
I am doing a one man show in February (13th, 14th and 15th) at the Ars Nova Theater in New York called, "Laughing at my Expense". It's a mix of stand-up, biography, and crazy costumes.

Tell us more about your line of women's clothing.
Well, it is based on some of my past designs (like the PR all-stars stuff) made a little more mass market accessible. I have gotten so many requests for it, I finally decided to do it.

You mentioned how you were a contest judge at the premiere of Mad Men season 3 in Times Square. Joan Holloway: potential drag icon?
I love Joan! I wish I was her...my mother had a red wig that I used to wear in 1966 (I was 3 years old) so I have been channeling her my whole life. Big boobs, big hair, gallons of eyeliner--what's not to love?

So, what really happened with the whole Beyonce and Thierry Mugler lawsuit? We heard so many different versions and opinions that we couldn't make head or tail of it.
I'm not allowed to comment too thoroughly on this issue, but legally speaking, the lawsuit is against Thierry Mugler for non-payment of invoices. Not Beyonce. It is for Beyonce's costumes that I was not paid. You can Google it, and get thousands (literally) of versions of the story...

Let's talk about your costumes, they're really amazing. When did you start designing them?
In kindergarten; I started making costumes for myself to play in, and then for Halloween, and then it just morphed into my profession before I knew it. I have always been creative, and costumes just include all the things I love, including humor and fantasy.

You always find a way to use non-traditional materials in interesting ways, like the geisha girl on your site with the tubing for a wig. How did you receive your training? Did you go to school or are you self-taught?
I went to college, but not for any kind of design degree. I am self-taught, mostly because I could never find anything I wanted off the rack. Plus, nobody could really create the outrageous look I was after, so I just learned to do it myself. I think that has really expanded my horizons--I will make anything out of anything, even if it's "against the rules".

What's your favorite part of a costume? The gown, headpiece, wig...? What's the one piece that makes a costume?
You know I have a fondness (obsession!) with large things on my head, whether it's a wig, headpiece, or the Chrysler building. The one thing that makes the costume? Always--the idea behind it.

Tell us about your book,"I Heart Chris March."
It is a 150 page photo book of the last 25 years of my costume and fashion designs. It is packed with one outrageous photo after another--it was kind of overwhelming to see them all in one place!! It was the best way I could think of to share my world with everyone.

Was it hard to choose what photographs/looks would go in the book? We know you have an insane amount of costumes and photographs.
The hardest part was deciding what to leave out--I will only embarrass myself to a certain extent....

The book has a foreword by Tim Gunn. How did that come about?
Oh, Tim....he is such a special person to me. I have told him many times that he is my guardian angel on earth. All I did was ask, and he wrote the most beautiful, flattering thing you can imagine....the great Harvey Fierstein also wrote an incredible blurb for the back cover.

Where can people buy the book?
You can order it exclusively through my website (www.chrismarchdesign.com) or go directly to this purchase page: http://www.chrismarchdesign.com/ilovechrismarch/

If you want to get the book before Christmas, please order it by December 4th (Friday!). Due to popular request, I am going to do my best to sign all of them....

Still dating the guy who sent you an email right after the show aired?
Yes...I have the most wonderful boyfriend in the world thanks to "Project Runway". He saw me on the show and sent me an email on Valentine's Day--We met and have been together ever since. That's what I meant when I said I had no idea how much love the universe would send my way....

Well, we can’t wait to get our hands on your book. Thank you, Chris!
Thank you, guys.


[Photos: Courtesy of chrismarchdesign.com]


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T Lo Interviews Irina

Meana Irina has her say!

Congratulations! You can finally tell the world you won.
I know, it’s been a long time in the making.

How was it, you know, having to keep it a secret for so long, especially being the winner?
I sort of just went back to my own world and kind of pretended it didn’t happen yet. It happened, but it didn’t happen for everyone else, so I kept it in the back of my mind.

Were you worried that this season wasn’t going to even air with all the legal issues going on? Did that bother you?
It did, because it was uncertain for a while, we didn’t know if it was even going to air. It was a little bit depressing after all this work and effort we all put into, you know, this might not even go anywhere.

That’s true, we even felt that when we attended the shows at Bryant Park. Was it tough to have to hide backstage and not be able to take credit for your collection?
It was, but you know what? At that point we were so happy that we were at least showing, everyone showed up, things were still rolling as usual. I personally wish we could have had introduced ourselves, but that was on the backburner of my mind, it didn’t really bother me that much at the moment.

Speaking of introductions, when did you tape that fake introduction?
It was taped very early when we first got there without an audience and then they added everything through the magic of television. Somehow, they made it look like we actually introduced ourselves.

Your father got very emotional when you won. Was that a cool thing to see?
Totally, he was so proud and so happy. It was definitely a very emotional moment.

Did you ever doubt you were going to win? It was clear to us when we saw the collections that you had by far the best one.
There were moments when I doubted and there were moments when I didn’t, it was sort of back and forth. The judges play so many tricks on you. They’ll say something nice and then something negative. You’re like, “Stop, messing with me, tell me like it is and let’s get this over with.” I was happy with what I presented at Bryan Park. I definitely felt that I got my point of view across. I knew it was strong, no matter what would’ve happened, I knew I had put together a strong collection.

Michael Kors was right when he said that you had the best sense of showmanship. Is that something you had in mind when you put your collection together?
Absolutely, it’s a show. Especially when it comes to Bryant Park, people want to see a show. I did keep that in mind, I definitely wanted to make it dramatic. It’s like when you go see a great movie, you want to leave with that sense that you’re taking something away from it. It leaves an impression and that’s something I definitely thought about.

One thing we noticed was that your collection was a little different than what you presented throughout the competition, was that deliberate?
Throughout the competition we get assignments that are so specific, we go to one fabric store with a very limited selection and then Heidi says to do whatever you want with $9,000 and you have a lot more time to think about what you want to do. That’s why it looks so much more polished and something that I could identify with a lot more, instead of challenge by challenge, especially in the beginning. It took a while to get used to the whole situation.

I’ve been saying all day today that I have so much more respect for every Project Runway contestant. It really takes such a brave person to do this sort of competition, to bare your soul every day and work like there’s no tomorrow and it’s intimidating standing in front of those judges under the spotlight, whether it’s good or bad criticism, it’s still intimidating.

You were very brave to disagree with Nina on the “too much black” issue, considering that she was one of the judges.
I’ve been a little rebellious all my life, I always do what I want to do, but this was for a good reason. It kind of evolved into being mostly a black collection because it was such a play on texture and leathers and the knits…I felt that adding color would take away from all the craftsmanship. I didn’t think it needed color.

That didn’t bother us. The knits were fantastic. Did you do them yourself?
I did with the help of one my favorite teachers at Parsons. She actually taught me how to knit and crochet, well, most of the crochet I forgot. That was the last extra thing she taught me. I made up all the patterns, knitted them in pieces, I would have a question with the stitch and then she would show me how to decrease and all these things I had forgotten since school and I needed a little bit of guidance.

We have a lot of readers who knit or crochet and they were so excited to see so much of that among the Season 6 designers. Is that a craft you always keep in mind when designing a collection?
I do. I’ve always loved knitwear. One of the things that was strong when I graduated is that I had a very strong knitwear portfolio. I sold a lot of knit swatches to people for inspiration, so that was a big thing, and I knew that was going to be one of the things I was going to really focus on. I don’t know if you guys could see it, but some of the pieces had so many different combinations of knit, they were really detailed, it was a lot work.

You said that your inspiration was Coney Island, but we also saw a lot of military, warrior influences.
It fell a little bit into that, but that wasn’t the focus, I didn’t want a military collection. I wanted a collection that is about NY, inspired by NY, feeling vulnerable, sort of what it takes to survive as a woman and still feel fragile and also tough; it’s OK to be both.

The felt hats were gorgeous.
I knew I wanted headwear, I love accessories, handbags, hats, shoes…they always make an outfit. I’m sort of an accessories addict. I wanted hats, but I always sure about the style of the hats and I couldn’t find anything in the market that I really liked so I decided to look for patterns, I ordered some supplies online, the chemicals…and I said, you know what? I’m going to give it a try, see what happens. I made one; it’s almost like sculpting, the chemicals make the felt really hard. It’s really great; the whole process is like the traditional way of making hats. Then I made another one and got all excited about it and kept making them, before knew it I had 6, 7 hats. They’re the same, slightly different.

The slashed pants were also hot.
Thank you, those took forever because the metallic matched the black and they had to be appliquéd by hand and then sewn on. It was definitely a very meticulous collection. It required a lot of hand sewing.

The t-shirts had this interesting technique. What was it?
I love play with chemicals. I love figuring out how to change fabrics. The technique is a burnout technique. You have to buy very specific jersey that has just the right amount of cotton and synthetics in it for this burnout to work and it needs to be done at least five times because the chemical is so strong, it would eat right through the t-shirt. The grey one in particular, I had to do it several times because the fabric would just melt with the chemical. You basically apply the chemical, you let it dry, you iron it over and it turns into this brownish yellow, you wash it by hand very delicately and it basically peels off a layer of the fabric. The clouds, for example, that’s the under layer of the material.

Was it hard to get that phone call from Tim and hear him saying that you had to rethink the whole thing because of copyright issues?
It was tough because I wasn’t sure. That was my first go at t-shirts, so I didn’t know the rules and regulations. You see t-shirts in the market and they always have iconic images. With the Coney Island images; that would’ve been OK to use had Lifetime paid for them. I got the image from a vintage postcard from the 60s or 70s and added my own graphic twist to it. It wasn’t straight from the postcard. It was manipulated enough that it was my own image, but they still had to pay for it and that’s something they didn’t want to do. I ended up having to scrap that.

Now for your new idea you did use lines from the NY magazine article “Reasons to Love NY 2008.” Wouldn’t that be copyright infringement as well?
Yes, I did use them, but those were actually from - the funny thing is when I was working on it, I said, "Wow, this is serendipity." I got that article and it wasn’t like one author. They interviewed random New Yorkers; a chef, a messenger…you know, like people you see every day in New York City and they said their favorite things about New York. I did include one of my own lines, which was “Because it loves me back.” I thought what better than just sort of throw all that in there because this is New York, all these different opinions. Everyone experiences the city so differently.

We think the issue with our readers, and the viewers of the show, is that you never brought that up as your source of inspiration. We never heard you saying something like “I was reading this article…” That never came up.
Because it was all edited out, so many things were edited out; so many nice things were edited out, interactions with each other, but you know, that’s their right to edit it the way they want to.

Did it bother you to get the Meana Irina editing?
It didn’t. I thought it was kind of comical at first. Listen, it’s a show, it has to be fun, it has to be creative. It didn’t bother me. I was pretty assertive on the show. In real life I’m not as blunt, the stress and the exhaustion does that to you, you tend to not beat around the bush.

We were loving it; at least some excitement.
I saw it, I got Miss Congeniality quite a few times [laughs].

So, what’s next for Irina?
As soon as I'm done with the festivities, I’m going to dive right into creating fall 2010 and I’ll be showing in New York Fashion Week. I’m really hoping to grow my brand, maybe home and other areas. I’m definitely going to get a show room in the near future and even a store.

Fantastic! You’re very talented and we wish you good luck. Thank you so much, Irina.
Thank YOU guys.


Related: Irina Shabayeva's Final Collection [ProjectRungay]


[Photos: myLifetime.com]


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T Lo Interviews Mad Men's Deborah Lacey

We desperately wanted a chance to interview Deborah Lacey, who plays the Drapers' maid Carla, before the season ended. It took a little longer because of some scheduling issues, but we finally got a chance to do so this week. We could have asked the AMC peeps for a chance to interview just about anyone in the cast, but we really wanted to shine a spotlight on her because there's something about her quiet, dignified portrayal that riveted us and we were curious to hear her thoughts on the character, the times, and the show itself. She is very warm and interesting and easy to talk to and we had a wonderful conversation that went in all kinds of unplanned-for directions. It was honestly one of the most rewarding interviews we've ever done.

Part of the reason we wanted to talk to you specifically is because of your portrayal of Carla and how you do so much with the little that you’re given to work with.
Thank you. And it looks like people are getting what I’m trying to do with Carla.

We think so. Even though Carla got maybe two dozen lines all season, it always seems like the focus is pulled over to her in every scene she's in.
Wow, thank you. That sounds good!

Now that we’ve buttered you up, what do you think of Carla? Who is she?
I see her as very dignified, probably has some kind of interest in education. She’s interested in politics in the world. She’s very loving and caring. She has her own strengths. She’s definitely deserving of equality. She has a lot of sense. At least, that’s how I’m hoping I’m portraying her.

Were you given any background or information about Carla from the show’s writers or creators?
No.

Did you fill it in yourself?
I pretty much kind of made her a general type of character. No ideas where she comes from or what she does when she leaves the Draper house, but I have certain ideas in my heart about her and who she is when I’m playing her.

Does she have kids, in your mind?
I think she does. I don’t know that, but I think her loving spirit for these children comes from a loving place. I think she understands children; I think she understands raising children. I think that’s why she has patience with children. I think she has children of her own, yeah.

We think she understands marriage very well too. One of our favorite Carla scenes was from last season when she told Betty, “Splash a little cold water on your face and go outside.”
Exactly.

So what do you think Carla thinks of the Drapers' marriage? She sees all of this drama play out and she never says anything.
I think it’s a human experience. I think she knows what they’re going through and I think she knows what married couples go through when they’re not faithful to each other and the marriage is not a priority. I think she respects both of them equally – and she respects her job – so she’s not going to get in the middle of anything. But I don’t think their marriage is the kind of marriage that she would have. There was some reference to her going to church every Sunday, so I think she has a more spiritual foundation where she respects marriage more than what the Drapers are doing. So she pretty much stays silent and not involved.

Do you think she, for lack of a better word, do you think she judges them? Because an awful lot of bad stuff played out right in front of Carla. How much of an opinion does she have about who’s right or wrong in that marriage?
Well, I think from a woman’s perspective, she may have a little more sympathy for Betty. I mean, that’s how I feel about it. When I reached out to her in that scene you were talking about, it was like a woman-to-woman type of thing. She offered her friendship to her from a woman’s point of view. I think she still respects who Don Draper is because he’s still paying the bills. I don’t think she has an opinion as to who’s right or wrong because she knows her place and she doesn’t want to get fired.

It’s interesting that you use the phrase “knows her place,” because that leads us to our next question. As an African-American actress in 2009, is it difficult to play a pre-civil rights maid?
You know, I get that question a lot and the answer is of course; of course it is. The reason why I can play Carla the way I do and give her the dignity that she has is because the set is so wonderful. The other actors treat me with all the respect and regard that they give to each other, so I never feel like I’m less than anybody else in my real life.

And also, my mother was a maid in the ‘60s. My mother was the maid for Bob Denver in the ‘60s. So in order for me to play her, I called my mother and got a good sense of her relationship with Bob’s wife and how they loved each other. They were very good friends. I based Carla on that relationship in terms of being equal and open to a friendship and always knowing that there was a paycheck involved, and with the times involved there was a line that you just didn’t cross. So I had kind of a personal feeling about it and I wanted to be more than something stereotypical that other people might have seen. I just wanted her to be something different.

Has your mother seen your portrayal?
She’s seen it a couple times but she’s not really into television. She talks to me about it all the time because I’m always telling her when I’m on. But she doesn’t really appreciate television all that much. She’s older; she just turned 90 in June. So she’s a little bit into her own things, she knits and stuff, but we have conversations about Carla all the time. She likes that I’m playing Carla.

You have an awful lot of experience on television. How does Mad Men differ from those other shows?
Well, it’s a period thing, so that makes a difference, going back to that period. Because they’ve researched it so much I really feel like I’m reliving that history. So that’s an opportunity that I never had before, feeling like I’m part of a real place.

And there’s the costumes, which just add to that feeling of being in a different time. Most of the things I’ve done are current characters. I would say the biggest difference is adjusting to the different times and being that person in history. And the wardrobe helps with that. You know, they’re being very authentic to everything in this period.

Right down to the underwear?
[Laughs] Absolutely. Yep.

Do you feel a little left out that you don’t get to wear the fabulous clothes that the other women get to wear?
I feel very left out! And I’m telling you, Carla has another life! She lets her hair down and she’s probably singing at some club somewhere; a whole totally different persona.

Hopefully, we’ll get to see that next season.
Yeah! There’s got to be more of her. I think she’s an attractive woman. I think when she lets her hair down that she’s appealing. So I think there’s another life there. I would LOVE to do that. I have five older sisters who grew up in the sixties and I looked at a lot of their clothes and pictures and they had these beautiful flip hairdos with bangs. That’s how I see Carla.

Our favorite Carla moment this season was the moment when she found out JFK was dead. When she sat down on that couch and took that cigarette from Betty, she seemed very human and it felt like the barriers had dropped and just for that moment she wasn’t Betty’s employee.
Exactly. Well, thank you. That’s exactly what I was going for. The director was really good and very specific. His direction was, “You don’t care about anything; you don’t care about those kids; you just want to get in there and find out what’s going on.” So that’s what I did. Again, that was a moment when I could let people know who Carla is outside of this house. I had a hard time trying to light that cigarette and make it real because I don’t smoke and I’ve never smoked. I never even played a character that smokes. I was totally all thumbs in the rehearsal trying to figure it out. At one point they just said “Okay, forget the cigarette,” but I knew that it was a moment that I could take advantage of to make Carla look more real. So I said, “No, no. I can do it.” So I worked on it and it worked. I had a couple of people who called me and said they loved that moment.

That comes from a personal experience. My mother talked about when Kennedy died and how affected my family, my father, people and friends at church. I mean, we loved him. People were saying to me in my own family how hard they took it and how they cried. We shared the grief that the rest of the country shared.

Wasn’t Kennedy in a lot of ways, to coin a phrase, the great white hope at the time, for a lot of African-Americans?
Exactly. We thought that he was sympathetic to civil rights. He was the first president to come along and care and say to the world that equality is important; segregation is evil. So that dialogue opened up with him. And that was true of all the Kennedys. Even Ted Kennedy, I loved how he spoke of equality.

I remember Ted, before he passed away, there was an interview where he talked about one of his sons asked him why he left money on the counter in the bathroom when they were leaving. And he said “Well, there’s someone who’s going to come in here and clean up after us and that person has a family and deserves a decent wage.” I thought that was beautiful. To me, it gave me something to give Carla more dignity. Real moments like that to relate to real people. Even if they’re in the role of a servant, they’re human beings. They deserve your respect. So I keep that with me when I’m playing Carla.

How do you feel about how the show deals with the burgeoning civil rights movement of the time? Because for the most part, it’s seen through the eyes of white characters.
I’m hoping that if they stay true to the period, there’s no way they can’t bring that story to the forefront. I mean, that was the turning point for the country. This is ’63, this last season, so depending on when they decide to start next season, I don’t see how they can avoid civil rights.

There was a really nice scene with the elevator operator and Peter from the ad agency and he was trying to get advice from him about the television he uses. Even a simple scene like that showed so much. And then when he went to the client and tried to get them to open up to this whole other market and the client said “Is that legal?” I mean that’s how stupid people were about that kind of thing. I really appreciate how Matt Weiner manages to put in those kinds of scenes, that kind of dialogue. It is their point of view but it’s showing that it’s not always the right point of view.

Aside from talking to your mother, what kind of research did you do for this role?
I went to the library a lot of times and looked through old magazines, read the articles. And like I said, I have five older sisters. Very attractive and very educated women; I have two attorneys in my family, I have a brother who is a director of finance. I have very successful, educated people in my family and they all grew up during the ‘60s. And they knew that they were going to be better than what was being offered to them. A lot of this is where I come from. I come from a very proud people and hopefully I’m making them proud. That’s who Carla is. I’ve given her the type of history that my family comes from. We’re definitely people who were out there marching with Martin Luther King. We’ve always believed in human rights and civil rights and all that. So I looked through their yearbooks and try to relive their lives and experiences. It really is a feeling of reliving history.

Another of our favorite scenes is the one where Carla was listening to Dr. King on the radio and Betty walked in and she turned it off. It was very powerful because Carla didn’t feel like she could even listen to this in front of her employer.
Well, it was no longer her private time. This was what I mean about respecting the space. My mother gave me tips about that. She said she always knew where the line was that she couldn’t cross. She said she was friends with Bob Denver’s wife but she always knew that she worked for her. She always knew that she couldn’t get too close unless she was invited. Like that scene you were talking about when Carla tried to offer advice to Betty and realized she’d gone over that line and walked away and said “I’m sorry,” that was exactly what my mother said had happened with her. There was a time when Bob’s wife was talking about something to her and my mother started offering her thoughts and Bob’s wife immediately acted like she didn’t want to hear her talking to her that way. My mother said she just backed up and said “I’m sorry.” Because that’s the thing; I’m very conscious of not making them uncomfortable around me.

It certainly sounds like you have Carla completely fleshed out in your head and that’s part of what makes her so compelling to the audience.
Thank you. Yeah, I do. And one of the best parts is when Matthew said to me last season that he loved what I was doing even when I’m not talking.

Well, Carla definitely doesn’t get enough lines.
[Laughs] I know! But there still has to be a presence there. That comes from my training as an actor. I’ve had some really good training and great acting coaches in my career. There’s always an inner dialogue going on with the character so that her presence is felt.

You know that scene where the women during the fundraiser were talking about segregation? Carla goes to answer the door and she brings in the woman from the governor’s office and there were two women there talking about the south and one woman says something like, “My husband says they’re not living in 1963; they’re living in 1863,” and laughs. And Carla walks up right at that moment. I deliberately timed that so the audience can see that these were the kinds of conversations that were happening in our presence and we just had to keep working. That’s what I mean when I talk about having a presence.

When the strike happened when all the maids stopped working during the bus strike, when Martin Luther King called for that, I mean that was a powerful time in history. And it showed the dignity that these people really did have. When they had a chance to speak up, they did. I’m very proud of that part of my history. My own mother was a part of that history. And I love my mother. I think she’s one of the proudest people I know. And she’s given dignity and pride in my life.

And I’m very proud of Matt because he’s never asked me to do anything that I would feel uncomfortable about and he’s always told me that he’s very happy with what I’m doing; he’s never told me I’m going in the wrong direction with her or anything like that. Just the opposite, in fact. This season he told me that he didn’t even realize what a good actress I was when he hired me. I appreciated that.

Do you think Carla has any anger?
Oh, yeah. Of course. Of course she does. How can she not have anger in this period? Anger for the situation and feeling less than other people. I’m sure she goes home and has somebody to vent to, absolutely. I think that’s where a lot of my presence, when I need to be strong, comes from; being able to get angry.

Carla had a great moment with Betty’s father when he mistook her for his maid and she snapped at him to the effect of “We’re not all the same.” That was a moment where we got to see just a little of Carla’s anger.
Exactly. And the fact that she assumed that he was thinking she stole the money in that episode.

Is there ever a moment where playing Carla really weighs on you and you go home and feel a little down about it?
Yeah, there is. I’ve actually cried, like the day we shot the scene where she was listening to Martin Luther King’s sermon for the girls in Birmingham. I mean, we were listening to the actual sermon. It’s really difficult for me to hear that this type of thing was going on and not feel a lot of pain about it. I definitely felt heavy and I felt sorry for my people, sorry that we had to go through this. And then you feel grateful that people went through it for you. Because I never experienced it the way that they did. So the struggle that they had to go through gained all the rights that I have today and I don’t take it for granted.

I’m grateful for the people who came before me. I draw on that strength. And I want Carla to have that strength to be able to endure. I think she knows there’s a better future. I hope people can see more than just a maid when they see Carla. That was definitely in the forefront for me when I took this job. I hoped that I could do something with this job that hadn’t been done; to give a woman in this role a real dignity and not be stereotypical in any way. I’m very conscious of not making her a “Yes, ma’am” type of person. Of course women like that existed but I think we’ve seen enough of that side of it.

Well, we definitely think you’ve succeeded in making her a fully rounded character because whenever we read about the show – and we read about it A LOT – it seems to us that many writers go out of their way to point out how important you are in your scenes.
Well, I need to read some of these writers!

We just want to thank you for the interview and we hope that Betty takes Carla along to her new marriage next season.
I hope so too! Thank you so much.

Darlings, in more Mad Men news, we will be sitting in and chatting about all things Mad Men on Live From the Left Coast on San Francisco's Green 960 from 6:00 to 8:00 (Pacific) TONIGHT along with Mad Men costume designer Janie Bryant and writer Maria Jacqemetton. And you don't have to be in San Francisco to listen in! You just have to go here.


[Screencaps: Projectrungay.blogspot.com]


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