Lighten up, it's just fashion!

Santino Rice has been, without a doubt, the most memorable contestant of Project Runway. With talent like his, you'd have expected him to have already presented several collections, or at least to have launched a successful singing career (anyone else remember that masterpiece entitled "Daniel Franco, Where did you go?"). We chat with Santino about everything from why he's decided to take it slow to his plans for the future (which may even include an appearance on a Broadway production of Project Runway: The Musical. It could happen!*)

How does it feel going from 'Santino Rice, the guy who lives next door' to Santino the Reality-TV star? Did you learn anything from the experience?

Well, this question alone could take up pages and pages of your zine, Amanda. Let me start by saying that I'm a fashion designer, a creative person that has always been an eccentric. Project Runway is more or less a "Reality Show" and yes, I'm a STAAAAAAR, darling, but I look forward to shaking off any label of being a "Reality TV Star". A TV star, sure... Fashion Star, most definitely... and I'd be involved with more TV, if it feels right to me- it's just that Reality TV as a genre has more mediocrity than positive attributes. I've seen what else is happening on other reality shows, shit is pretty wack! I became "The Star" of Project Runway 2 and magazines were saying I was made for TV, and all of this, but I feel like it didn't take much. Read a fucking book you idiots! That's what I want to scream at the TV set! I've learned a tremendous amount of things now, but that was my first time being involved in something like that. The next time will be much more and much funnier. Superlatives personified! I always knew I'd be famous though, that was always in my DNA. This fame, this amount of fame that I have right now though, is bullshit compared to what I envision...but you gotta start somewhere!
I honestly can't imagine you'd think of me as "the boy next door" type, but it's charming... I think that I've got a lot of special people in my life and I'm pretty special to those people as well. I rather fancy the idea of being a Star in real life rather than being a "Reality star".
Did I learn anything? Where to I begin with this one. Yes x 100,000,000! Simplifying your question to just what I've learned from going from anonymity to being a celebrity... I've said before that fame without fortune is annoying. As much time as I thought about it beforehand, you can never really prepare yourself for fame. I learned I made a lot of people a lot of money! You're welcome folks! Wanna buy a dress? People think the show was all fun, fun, fun. but you quickly see that the work you have to try to accomplish in the time frame allotted is so bogus, it's not fun at all. I had to bring the Fun! I was fun for me, everyone got to watch me entertain myself!
Seriously though, I learned a lot about how these shows work. I learned a lot about myself. I learned a lot about human nature. I learned a lot about the media. I learned that ultimately, who I am, is RIGHT and anyone who disagrees with who I am and what I create, and what I say, is WRONG! But on top of that they're none of my concern. And that one is a BIG one! I've always been confident about my ability and my brain. But what I went through, and in many ways that I am still going through, gives me so much solace in knowing I'm RIGHT, I'm O.K. It was more like a reconfirmation, but most importantly it enables me to really live and learn new things and create without caring about the finger-pointers and haters. Those fucks will always be there in your life and mine. Success is the best revenge!

What/who inspires you when you're designing and creating clothing?

God, Nature, and Music inspire me most. I feel that because I'm always soaking up everything around me, constantly reading, constantly learning, and listening. My work and my designs reflect that mix of information. I talk about God in my process because I get ideas and inspiration from "somewhere else" many times and I think it's God talking to me or my guardian angels talking to me...almost like they're saying,"Hey! Look over there, Santino!" and at that split second I see a snapshot of life that inspires a whirlwind of ideas in my mind. Of course, I'm not hearing voices! But I catch little snapshots like that all the time and they're very important to me. As well as when I'm sketching, I often feel more like a conduit and messenger than just drawing the list of ideas that I was wanting to sketch down that day. I start getting ideas from outside my conscious mind. Women and Men are, of course, majorly inspirational to my process as well. A clients personality...physical beauty, all very important to be stimulated on many levels.

What's the most interesting question fans ask you, and how do you answer them?

I don't know if it's so interesting, but more perplexing to me, that many young people ask me, "How did you know that you wanted to be a designer?" It then leads to them telling me of their ambitions to design as well, and I all I can tell them is to just pursue it! If it doesn't work out eventually then try something else. Of course there are plenty of people who's parents have lied to them and told them that they're super creative, or they should be a model, or whatever. But look at Michael Kors! Shit, if he can do it kids, you can too! ha ha... Seriously, even at that, if you really, really, love something, it will show! Whether or not you had a gift for it at birth or not, it will show. And the more you try, the more likely you'll be successful. Persevere, don't half-ass it! But also, look around, look at all the bad clothes that are being sold and all the bad clothes that people are wearing! There's work for you as a designer even if you suck! Sucking at design is obviously working out really well for many designers! Look at Michael Kors.....ha ha ha. I kid, I kid, I don't really think his clothes are so bad, they're just boring and he's just appropriating everything Halston already did. Michael Kors would like you to believe that he invented the mirrored Aviator sunglasses. But shit whatever, Knock 'em dead Mikey!

What's in store for the future, especially with regards to your clothing?

I'm still working on custom one-of-a-kind pieces. It's what I can afford to maintain. I'm in no hurry to try to put on fashion shows. I'm in no hurry to take out huge loans with the bank. I'm still looking for the right deal financially. Still talking to potential investors. It takes a lot of money. I know I can't expect anyone who doesn't work within the garment industry to understand this, but even if I scrounged together enough for 1 collection and show...it doesn't mean I'll be around next season! Then say I get $1 million dollars in orders, which isn't a lot for a fashion house to produce, but it can take $300,000 dollars to produce those orders. I understand viewers see designers on the show and then when the show's over, they're expecting everyone to magically have a dream career and have stores around the world carrying their clothes. Unfortunately for all of the designers on the show it doesn't work that way. The designer's who have been able to do so are fortunate enough to have the means by which to do it, ie: have family money, or took out loans. I recently read an article in New York Magazine about Jeffrey Sebelia and the reporter makes all these ridiculous comments about how "unfortunate" Jeffrey's life is and I'm thinking Jeffrey has more shit going on then anyone from the show! Yeah, yeah, Chloe and Emmett have stores, but Jeffrey has a legitimate fashion brand that was off the ground prior to Project Runway. Jeffrey's famous now, but it doesn't mean you become a millionaire because you were on TV! And what, it's been like 3-4 months for him? Whether people want to be patient or not, it's going to take years, not months! Years, before you start seeing what happens with these designers. Jay McCarroll was, I'm guessing, so frustrated by all the questions of, "Where's your line?" for the past 2 years that he showed a collection 2 seasons ago in New York and I'm thinking, for what? To prove to people that you still exist? Big, expensive show...even if some of it was donated, I feel like it's really unnecessary for a young designer with unsure financial footing to throw a big fashion show! It's not like my ideal client is the same as the demographic of the show. I never thought 1+1= Billionaire! I realized long before that maybe I'd sell a few more dresses because I'm famous but any headway I'd make would be because of me. Having done the show has enabled me a certain amount of freedom as a designer. I'm still very happy of having made the choice to participate on the show. I don't live in the Hollywood Hills yet, but that's really unrealistic to have thought in the first place.

If you decided to be a crime-fighting superhero and got the chance to make your costume yourself, what would it look like? What would it be made of?

I wanted to wear something that crossed a suit of armor with the more traditional ease and range of motion that you get from good ol' Lycra tights. The cape is to fly of course! Who needs a jet; I'm bi-coastal in 30 minutes! The film Excalibur (1981) was a huge inspiration for me. That film has the most beautiful medieval costumes and the chrome and gold metal was ultimately what I decided to fabricate my own superhero costume from. I also quite like the idea of not only being a superhero but also a patron saint of sorts; For those who have been beaten down and discouraged while expressing their own creativity and imagination. The "S" radiates with the passion and love that I feel for my work. Its rays inspire new ideas and create hope in those who feel hopeless and confused. Thanks for asking, I had a great time living out this fantasy! Much Love and Respect!

*Check out what may be Santino's big break into the music industry, "Blow You Kisses" here. For more info on Santino's life after Project Runway, check out his Myspace, blog, and soon-to-be-updated website.

-Amanda C.Q.

Christina from Rx Apparel Part Deux

Above: the artist in the flesh, quite unlike the mannequin beside her

Interview with Christina Ewald Continued...

What's it like to be self-employed- to live by your own deadlines and your own rules?
It's terrible! I am really a bad procrastinator, but then, I do much better work when I've invested interest in something, when it's for me. In New York there are so many distractions, but you have to know where to draw the line. I like to go out a lot, and I'm always mixing up business with my personal life- like I'll say that if I go out tonight, I might meet someone interesting or important. But sometimes, you need time alone.

What do you spend the most time doing, apart from your job?
Seeing friends. I have a lot of artsy friends (that are into the same things as me). I go out to dinner alot- I'm always networking. I like talking to new people.

Do you have any favourite designers, or indie designers?
Well, I have a lot of friends who do art. I'm really into Vivian Westwood now, but her older stuff from the 70s when she was working with the Ramones and other rock bands. I'm into her at the moment. Since I just got started at making clothing, I don't really know any designer names and I don't have any real influences.

That's cool, though- it's like the process and the clothes come wholly from you, or maybe from some subconscious area, since you don't think you've got influences.
Yes, I wish I had more things to say! I just have this whole arsenal of vintage, and I'll just grab a polka dot thing and chop off of sleeves. I use this weird stream of conscious method of creating. I just start without knowing what I'll end up with. That's another thing- I don't work with patterns.

So, are you still fluent in Japanese?
I haven't studied Japanese for years! I used to be very fluent. Fortunately, in Minnesota they offered it in High School so I ended up studying it for like seven years. I've forgotten a whole lot of it though. I should really pick up a few books; I miss studying it but I've been so busy!

Why are vintage stores in New York so incredibly expensive?
[Laughs] It bothers me too. I have no idea! Everything in New York is so expensive, and vintage clothing is cool now. I haven't really bought anything in clothes stores here. They're boring to me, and everything is too expensive! I like to window shop, though.

Have any vintage shopping tips?
Go to legitimate thrift stores, where they sell clothing by the pound. Unfortunately, there aren't any that I know of in New York.

I meant to go to Beacon's closet when last I went to New York, but it didn't end up working out.
I've heard good things about it. Perhaps I'll go this week.

During your travels as part of the theatre troupe, which state do you think has got the best vintage clothing?
Any place that is not New York! I found a lot of stuff in thrift stores in Boston and Philadelphia, as far as cities go. We ended up in some really random small towns, so it was fun to go to random small thrift stores!

What catches your eye when you're looking for something to reconstruct? What has got the most potential?
Anything really bright, ridiculous, and polyester! I like to pick out ugly things and make them look cool. I especially like huge heinous things from the 80s, like sweaters and appliques. Sometimes I'll just keep them heinous- there's beauty in everything, and hipsters will buy anything!

Do you consider yourself a hipster?
Some people would. I consider myself a bohemian artist.

-Amanda

At last: Christina from RxApparel- Part 1

If there's anything you learn from Christina while chatting with her, it's this- sometimes you've got a plan for life, and sometimes life's got a plan for you. Pursuing a major in Political Science and Japanese in Chicago, Christina never thought she'd end up a designer, struggling to keep afloat in the great big sea of New York. Yet, it's evident that she's succeeding- her soon-to-be- opened store in Brooklyn is a testament of that fact. Presenting Part 1 of a conversation with Christina Ewald of RxApparel.

How did Rx Apparel begin?
This is going to be a long story, because I tend to ramble a bit. I'm from Minnesota originally, I did a double major there in Japanese and Political Science. I never studied Fashion or anything. Then I moved to Chicago to start fresh. I grew up poor, so when I was younger I was really into thrift store shopping. I was bored one day, and I found this awesome dress in a thrift store in Chicago. It was huge, so I decided to spread it on the floor and chop it up. I took the whole day. I didn't have a sewing machine so the entire thing was hand sewed. I wore it the next night... I went into a thrift store downtown and the girl behind the counter asked where I got it. I thought she was making fun of me! I don't normally make stuff, and I never sew ever. She told me that she liked it, and said that she was the owner of the store. She said that she would so sell something like that! Her name's Jamie, she's the owner of Clothes Optional in Chicago. While I was in Chicago I toured with a Children's Theatre Troupe for 3 months. We rented a car and for every city we stopped at, I would drive to thrift stores, make things in my hotel room and send them to her. She'd sell them on consignment and send back the money. I was able to afford to live on this, and then I realized that I could make it a more lucrative business.

Do you think this will be your main career, or do you have plans to pursue something else in the future?
This will be my main career. It's a good thing you asked me this question now- two days ago I might not have given that answer. I just signed a lease for a store front in the Lower East Side, Manhattan. It's going to be an Andy Warhol type Factory, where I plan to sell vintage clothing, vintage reconstructions, and other artsy stuff. I do plan to do this now, forever. Here, it's impossible to be a starving artist- it's really expensive. It's been hard moving, New York is a city that can really eat you up and spit you out alive. I thought that my back up plan would be to study hairdressing and become an apprentice to my friend Daniel, a hairdresser in Manhattan. Four years ago I never thought I'd be doing clothing. Ten years from now I used to think that I might be in law school, or teaching English in Japan. But, I'm having a good time doing this.

That sounds really depressing, what you said about New York.
It's hard unless you're really doing very well. You can't be a struggling artist. You need a back up plan. But then, the potential for success is so great. The grand scheme is so much bigger and better. I used to be a big fish in a small- what do they say? Sea? [laughs] But now I'm a small fish in a big city, a very big city. There's so much potential to grow. New York can be a wonderful place. I've heard that it's always hard the first year!

So, how'd you end up in Brooklyn, where you live currently?
I felt that I'd done everything there was to do- no, that's not right [laughs]. I think my ego was getting far too big for the city of Chicago, so I moved to New York. I thought it would be the perfect place to move to. My friend Ethan (Ethan Bee, illustrator) had moved from Chicago to New York three months prior, and he was able to suggest a place that his friend owned. It was perfect timing, I was like “I'll be there tomorrow!”.

Right: One of Christina's creations (alliteration, woot!)


Part 2 coming up next week!

-Amanda

Q&A with Yana of Supayana

Yana Gorbulsky's living proof of the success that the Internet can provide budding entrepreneurs. Originally from Moscow, she taught herself to sew as child. Since then, she's relocated to New York. Her business has garnered an enormous following, from livejournal hipsters to members of indie rock bands. Supayana's combination of edgy vintage and and girly japanese lolita have had a huge inspiration on the tastes of many aspiring fashion designers and diy-ers today. Read and become inspired as well!

How did the Supayana clothing line begin?
I was in college (majoring in speech pathology) and started selling clothes I made on eBay to pay for textbooks.

You've never recieved any professional training in fashion design. Was this ever an obstacle in clothing contstruction?
Well, it just took me longer to figure out the right way to construct things...I had to learn from trial and error instead of somebody showing me the correct way from the start. From what I hear about fashion schools, however, is that they don't really emphasize

the importance of being able to sew your own designs. They train you for the field, where you pay people to make your patterns, samples, and produce your garments. I don't really think I missed out on anything.

You're originally from Russia. Has your heritage impacted upon your clothing in any way?
I think it makes me less wasteful than most Americans I encounter, but other than that...not really? I try to use up all my scraps and ship in materials that can
be recycled easily.

What's the most important thing you've learnt from your experience as a designer and business owner?
Be grateful for your customers!

It's undeniable, the impact you've had on other budding designers. How do you react to people who have borrowed heavily from your designs?
Well, when it first started happening I would get really upset about it, but I'm too busy to even care about. It's just part of the fashion industry!

You've said that your parents encouraged you to study speech pathology, because you weren't sure of what you wanted to be. How have they reacted to your occupation as a designer?
They've been really supportive! My mom collects all of my press and shows her friends. It's so cute!

What's the best and the worst thing about living in Brooklyn?
The best thing is the diversity of people living here. I rode my bike from Williamsburg to Sheepshead Bay a few times, and I was always astounded by how many different communities I rode past along the way. You have people from all over the world in one place. It's an amazing thing.
The worst thing...it's overpriced. So many neighborhoods in Brooklyn have Manhattan prices nowadays, and I think that's just ridiculous. NY used to be a place for artists, but artists can't even afford to live here anymore. I feel like the growing prices have really stifled creativity here.

Check out Yana's site for more information on purchasing.

gURL.com also has a great feature on Yana's day-to-day life as a designer.

Over and out.

-Amanda C.Q.

Distros, Zombies, & Zines! OH MY!!!

When I first started out running Avocado Tree Distro, Mae Undead of Gimme Brains!!! Distro was the first to message me wishing me luck & offering flyer & link trades. I had the chance to interview her tonight about running a distro and writing some amazing zines.

Raven: okey doke. So first off, tell us about yourself!
Mae Undead: well, i'm mae undead in my zines but for real, i'm lisa mae that loves zombies way too much. i also run gimme brains!!! distro and write several other zines
Raven: Lisa Mae is such a pretty name! How did you come up with Mae Undead as a pen name?
Mae Undead: thank you! that's a kinda funny story about the name. i showed my friend andrew a picture i took of myself from halloween (2004) and he was like, "that would look great on a shirt. underneath would say mae undead." and i totally just laughed and the name stuck with me ever since.
Raven: Haha. That`s awesome. So how long have you been running Gimme Brains!!! Distro?
Mae Undead: almost 2 years! next month is going to be the 2 year mark.
Raven: Congratulations! What got you into zines in the first place? & do you remember the first zine you ever read?
Mae Undead: i got into zines because of my friend joyous, who ran frenzy distro. i met her my sophmore year. she was my cousin's best friend's sister and it so happened she was also in my class! we hardly talked in that class though. she handed me a flier of her distro and i totally looked it up. it opened me to a new world! but the first zine i read wasn't from her. it was from this couple. i forgot their names. the zine was called, "i love her, dude" and it was about their relationship and how they toured with each others bands. it was cute. i can no longer find that copy though.
Raven: Awww. So I`ve read a couple of your zines, which I absolutely love! What is your inspiration for writing them?
Mae Undead: thanks for reading 'em. for "i know you're out there" that was totally just a gift for one of my friends(now partner!), i wanted to tell him a sort of life story and stories that i found are important in my life. i copied it in color for him and it was so nice! he loved it! i wasn't sure if i wanted to get it distributed since it was way personal. so i decide to forget about my worries and just send it out to a couple of distros and they picked it up! i was really surprised.

now for my other zine, i was participating for 24 hour zine thing. i remember reading "High on Burning Photographs / Laminated Hearts Club" and i was like, "this is way amazing." i decided to do it in a similiar way with my alter ego. i like to create gory stories in my head, stories that i would love to make into short films. the other side was just all me! no alter egos!
Raven: Everyone Has a Summer was an amazing zine. I could never write one so personal! How did you feel writing it?
Mae Undead: it felt like i was having sex with a zine! well, mentally. when i would write some of the pieces, it would just come so naturally. especially my dream. it felt good to get that out, i wanted to share just thoughts i had on the subject.
Raven: So what is in store for the future of the distro, your zines, and yourself?
Mae Undead: for the distro, i want to expand other sections like more crafty or random things. as long as i have stories to tell, i'm sure i will write zines. the future holds a lot, i'll just open to new experiences as they come!
Raven: any advice for people who are looking to open a distro?
Mae Undead: to be passionate about it! i find that if you lack passion for your project, it would be a pain to open one.
Raven: that`s really good advice. Thanks so much for your time, & good luck with all your projects!
Mae Undead: thank you, i hope the same for you!

definately check out her zines, Everyone Has A Summer, My Mystery Girl, and I Know You`re Out There!

♥Raven