FASHION 2011

Project Runway Season 9

Although the original pool of twenty track competition is not quite ideal for the most famous capitals of design, he is convinced that Denver has a huge impact on last year’s show as Mondo Guerra, who finished second in the race and first place in everyone’s heart. So, perhaps, no coincidence that the next season, missing other tracks eccentric designer Denver: Fallen Wells, better known as the brains behind Forever Darling (2010 Westword Mastermind and, for that matter). However, as Wells himself would like to inform you, the track is not so easy to sell, and she got in the secured and the value of his own considerable experience. It’s been a long time and season 9 of the runway project has finally made its debut tonight. In advance, we caught up with Wells to discuss the show, and how, if at first you do not succeed, you should try again.
Westword: So how do you land on a runway project?
Fallen Wells: It was my second audition, actually. I just did this year, and it seemed to go very well, and this is how I got on the show. But it was a long process, of course.
What was the first time you listened to?
I auditioned last year in the spring, and I just had another collection at the time. And then talk to Mondo in Novemeber, I asked him how I should try again? Is this helpful? And he said that he had tried a bunch of times, too – it seems that many designers try to show a few times before doing it, it’s actually about how much you want. So I tried again this year with a variety of collections, and I think that was what they sought.
Speaking of Mondo, he certainly made a big impact on the show last season – that he would like to take this? Like, you feel like you’re living in the shadow of Mondo or what?
I think – I really do not want to say that I’m in the shadow of Mondo. We are totally different design and totally different people. We both tried in the past year, and if I did this instead, I would have paved the way for Mondo. It was just his time in the past year, I think, and this year is my time. But also, I think it’s really cool because I have someone in Denver that I can talk about this experience, and I think it’s pretty rare. And I think all the press in Denver, fashion is really great, and look forward to more designers on the runway project in Denver, and I do not think that they are in my shadow. I think it’s just a different trip.
So, you’ve wrapped the filming of the show, and you already know the winner, but no one will know until the end of the season, which is months. How does it feel to have to keep a secret?
In fact, I do not know the winner – I do not know, until Fashion Week. Frankly, it’s like when you look really great movie, and you tell someone about it, and you do not want to spoil the end. I think it was just the most spectacular season this year, and why should I spoil that for everyone? I have a big mouth, and especially to the hairdresser, you can imagine how many people ask me. But I do not want to spoil the results. It’s just not cool.
In fact, I was wondering: Now that you have made Project Runway, you think you’ll continue to do hair, or you’re basically just going to make a design in the future?
You know, I really enjoy doing hair. I think what keeps me healthy. Many designers do not have much social interaction as I am with hair, and I think it’s a good thing to have. So I think I’ll move my business to sort of hair thing part time, but I still want to do. My goal with Project Runway is really just that I think it’s great that the impact of the fashion scene in Denver, as well as show what I’m doing in September [Forever Darling], but I still want to continue doing what I I’m doing.
So the last thing I wanted to ask you, what you call as your designer Jay McCarroll’s favorite song before, I was a little surprised. Was it a conscious effort to not go with the obvious choice, or you just do not really like Jay?
Yes, many people are pissed off! I really like Jay. I like Mondo, but I just love the fashion sense Jay. I thought his collection was the most stand-out for me all season – but that’s just my opinion. Fashion is so subjective, and this is something that you can not be too sensitive – especially on Project Runway. So it was not personal attacks on Mondo, Mondo, and I’m sure to watch this season and I’m not her favorite designer, either – I could not even be my favorite designer of the family – but we are obviously friends, otherwise If it does not help me quit reading this party. But I think it should really be a problem. Just because it’s in my city, what if it’s a terrible designer? Do I still look for? It is not, of course, I like his drawings, but I just think, to each his own.