Isaac Mizrahi Interview – PROJECT RUNWAY ALL STARS, shoes, Teletubbies…
| March 7, 2012 at 5:24 PM ESTProject Runway All Stars is getting ready to crown a victor. Before that happens, the episode that airs tomorrow night will tell us who the top three designers for the showdown will be. For this competition, one of the new judges has been Isaac Mizrahi. We had a chance to take part in a conference call where he talked about the final four, the shoes he loves wearing, and even those teletubbies that inspire him.
Who is left on Project Runway All Stars? At this point in the competition, there are four designers who remain. But only three can carry on after this week. Right now we have Mondo Guerra, Michael Costello, Austin Scarlett and Kenley Collins. Small Screen Scoop predicted the top three would be Guerra, Costello and Scarlett. But will we be right? And what do you think? More than that, who do you want to win?
When Mizrahi went into this process of judging he’d watched previous seasons “selectively” but not obsessively. Because it’s his work, he was “both attracted and repelled.” He conveyed that it’s difficult to let your work be such a big part of your entertainment when you want TV to escape.
At any rate, because he’d seen some episodes Mizrahi knew some of the All Stars, but not all. However it didn’t matter and he approached every challenge judging with “fresh eyes.”
Project Runway All Stars Spoilers and Theories below.
We wanted to know what he thought of the remaining designers to see if there were hints and spoilers about who won. Because he freely mentioned Kenley so much it seems that either she was eliminated first, or she won.
We haven’t loved Michael Costello all that much here. But Mizrahi does. He mentioned that Michael Costello had grown the most. In fact, “I thought he really needed to come a long way. But by the time he came to Project Runway All Stars, he was ready.”
Now, what about Kenley? Kenley Collins is known for being a bit defiant of the judges, and Mizrahi mentioned that being stubborn is actually her best asset. It’s also a strength he said he relates to personally. “She does not listen,” he stated plainly.
Isaac described Austin Scarlett as “flamboyant and feminine.” Kenley Collins got the word “witty.” Mondo Guerra was described as “inventive and soulful.” And finally, Michael Costello was given the words “sexy” and “luxurious.” (Based on his reaction, we think he liked Guerra and Costello the most.)
And what about that Austin Scarlett/Austin Starlet moment? Mizrahi knew Austin’s last name, but got mixed-up for a second. “It was a moment… I was talking really fast. I knew who he was. It was one of those things where you hear two syllables, and you’re old, and you take too much Xanax…,” he said with a hint of a wink. “It was a moment where I thought it was ‘Starlet’ and I thought it was a wonderful name,” he added.
The biggest shock on Project Runway All Stars was when Rami went. “I feel like we could hear the gasp across America,” he said. Continuing he mentioned it was truly a, “profound loss.” For those not familiar with the judging process, the judges base who is out on numbers they write down. It’s not up to just randomly picking someone.
And to Rami‘s credit, Mizrahi said that had they done a menswear challenge Rami probably would have won. And had there been a “real woman” challenge, Kenley likely would have taken home the win that week.
What’s the deal with Isaac Mizrahi loving Teletubbies? “Well, I love Teletubbies,” he proudly declared. “I don’t think it airs anymore…” he then mentioned. Maybe you can get them on DVD or Blu-ray of all things. To describe his love of them he said, “It’s very random, but you know what – I actually did a collection inspired by Teletubbies a long time ago.” Mizrahi said he was inspired by the primary colors, sky, grass, and how everything was classic, clean and beautiful.
Have you noticed Mizrahi’s shoes? He wears Belgian loafers as his stylish signature and it’s actually about being comfy. Spending hours, even sitting, means he wants something that’s gorgeous but comfortable. “I dress a lot for comfort.” Continuing he said that his icons like Fred Astaire also wore these types of shoes. Know a guy who wants fabulous shoes? Point him in the Beglian loafer direction!
When asked what his favorite moments on the show were, he replied it was definitely, “when someone won.” Tune in this Thursday to see what happens next.
Project Runway all Stars airs on Thursdays at 9pm ET/PT on Lifetime. The two part finale begins March 15 and the winner of Project Runway All Stars will be crowned on March 22.