Project Runway Finally Get's It Right...

As someone who has been involved in the fashion industry for years (although, you'd think I'd dress better for someone who worked at a fashion magazine for 10+ years) I was happy to see that Bravo and Project Runway (a show I was involved with since it's infancy through the above-mentioned fashion mag.) finally got it right. After years of misfiring on their winners, I think they truly have selected a true future fashion superstar in Christian Siriano.

Now I'm not trying to knock the show, because I love it, and it easily is one of my favorite shows on television, but the simple fact is that they have yet to produce a fashion star. Jay McCarroll, while a inspired first winner has had a series of false starts in trying to get his business off the ground. It took him a full two years before actually ever showing a collection again. Jay even turned down the $100,000 winnings and the apprenticeship at Banana Republic. In fact Kara Saun (who already had her own business going in) and Austin Scarlett (who immediately got a job designing for Vera Wang and then his own collections) have been much more successful.

Chloe, the Season 2 winner decided to stay in Houston in her very successful boutique (that she already had before the show) as opposed to trying to make a larger name on a bigger stage. While Season 3 winner Jeffrey was already a well-established designer with a wide array of celebrity clientele. So alhough all the winners have had varying degrees of success they had yet to produce a fashion superstar... that is until this year when they selected the rising star and fashion design prodigy Christian Siriano. It's hard to believe that he is just 21 years old, but this kid delivers the goods. He has a very impressive overseas pedigree, having worked with some of the finest couture houses in the world. Now he clearly didn't deliver the most wearable (Jillians pieces could easily be on sale at Banana Republic) or the most classic (Rami's collection was impressive because he finally broke out of his draping mold) collections, what he did deliver was the most inspiring and fashion forward collection. Christian's collection was everything that is right in fashion. It delivered on every level. From the first piece that made it down the runway it was apparent that we were looking at the work of a true star.

Congrats to both Christian and Project Runway on a great season.

"Dude, how many sweater vests do you own?"

The answer to that above question would be quite a few (8 or 9 i believe). You see in the past couple of years I've been on a personal crusade to try and make the sweater vest cool again. Here are some of the things I've heard over the years (besides the above question):




"Everytime I see you, you're wearing a sweater vest"
"Do you have one of these for every day"
"I only thought gay men wore those"
"Aren't you hot in that"
"Dude, sweater vests aren't cool"
"We used to have a lesbian who worked here who would wear sweater vests all the time"
...and so on and so on


My love affair (as an adult) with sweater vests started about 13 years ago. I entered the Gap looking for cargo pants after being on a shoot and seeing the photographer in his. I ended up leaving the store with khaki cargo pants as well as a dark brown sweater vest. No one liked the way the two looked together besides me. I didn't care, I loved it. It was official... I was in love with the sweater vest.

No article of clothing of mine has received as much flak as the sweater vest, but I soldiered on. Then it started to happen... slowly but surely the sweater vest started to show up everywhere. Runway collections for Tommy Hillfiger and Calvin Klein made them fashionable and mass retailers like the Gap continued to stock them and make them accessible. Although I think it was still niche clothing. Most people associated a sweater vest with one of two things being homesexual or a geek. I stood undeterred, I was going to continue as I say "rocking the sweater vest".

The sweater vest trend continue to grow... it started showing up regularly on Brandon Flowers from the Killers and on Kanye West. Which meant that fans who wanted to dress like their favorite hip-hop or rock artists would be looking for sweater vests everywhere. Then the Gap featured the above sweater vest in their fall campaign with John Mayer (yup, I own that one too). It finally happened... sweater vests are everywhere, and in fact selling quite well. The particular sweater vest I received for Christmas (I can't find a pic of it anywhere, will have to post when I get home and take one) was sold out in all sizes online as well as most Gap stores. I went to about 8 different Gaps in the hunt for it. It reminded me of the old days of toy collecting, the thrill of the hunt. I digress... I just wanted to state how happy I am that the sweater vest has finally been accepted... my work here is done.