Today we welcome back to our screens one of our favourite shows and along with it, one of our favourite designers. Yes, tonight Project Runway returns for its twentieth(!) season and to celebrate the anniversary, they have turned it into a must-see All Stars edition featuring none other than our own personal G.O.A.T. Fabio Costa.
Project Runway Season 20: All Stars starts tonight on Bravo with a double episode no less and Christian Siriano returning to mentor the designers as they are challenged each week to create the winning *adopts French accent* “garment.”
Loverboy caught up with Fabio, who specialises in Gender Neutral clothing, to find out what the Brasilian designer has been upto since we last spoke in 2018 and how he feels about returning to what will always be the ultimate fashion reality TV competition.
Hey Fabio, great to see you back on our screens! What was your immediate reaction when contacted to return for Project Runway?
Thanks! It’s been a little while since I’ve been back but it feels right haha. But I have to say that I was quite surprised, being that I am now on my fourth season competing and I believe that from all 300 contestants so far I am the only one that has the 4th timers badge.
The last time we saw you was on All Stars S6, which you all made one of our favourite seasons of all time. I remember there being tears when I watched it. Haha…In terms of NotEqual, did that last season open doors or make new things possible for you?
Project Runway is always a great platform to be showcased in, because it is globally broadcast, and actually gives an opportunity to showcase your talents and skills. I have been fortunate to have had great runs in the competition that has allowed me to create garments for museums, work for costume shops for Broadway and be able to continue to develop and maintain my brand.
Your latest collection Surto Sarto looked beautiful with rough fabrics and unfinished edges. And strong statement headwear too! How have things changed with NotEqual since the last time we spoke in 2018?
I believe the pandemic was not only a period for reflection, but a great time to find meaning in not only your work, but your life’s purpose. And I, during that time delved deeply into more Artisanal techniques, paired with digital fashion presentations, that allowed me to explore themes more in-depth creatively, and not only focus on creating collections to be a way to present garments. So Surto, which means “mental breakdown” and Sarto from the sartorial side of tailoring, was a strong turning point for the brand where I was able to bring all of this new folk sensibility of a more theatrical flair, back into the runways.
Gender Neutral clothing continues to grow and evolve and it is something that you have valued from the beginning and helped build. How have you seen the market/demand/movement grow since you started?
It has been both incredible to watch this conversation actually come out of a niche market and be brought into the main stream of fashion but at the same time, I feel that we still have a long way to come, if we think of utilizing fashion as a way of allowing people to free themselves from societal constructs, regarding gender and gender expression.
When entering this new season, what styles/themes did you want to showcase or give visibility to this time around?
This will be the first season, where I am flying from Brazil into the competition, so I believe this Latin flair is going to come up in my creations, regardless of me being a known minimalist. But to be honest, the most interesting, and the best part of being in the competition is allowing yourself to be challenged. You never know what creative spark will ignite.
When you saw who else was entering this season, who were you immediately excited to be with? Was there anyone you were apprehensive of?!!
I am very excited and very anxious because as you can tell, the level of competition is really high up, all designers here are either working on their brand full-time or developing for big projects. So it’s a group of designers that is ready to take on anything. And it’s like a big family reunion some people you’ve known some people you’ve seen some people you get along with some people you just let be hahahah
You are in a unique position, I imagine, having worked with Heidi & Tim, then Alyssa and now Christian. How does your dynamic with each host/mentor differ?
It is a unique position. Indeed, I feel like in the sense I have to start from scratch being that Nina is the only person that has seen my work before so as much as it is a chance to make a mark it is also a little bit stressful to kinda have to win everybody over once again.
As Fabio Costa, outside of NotEqual, you keep social media to a minimum. How do you feel about coming in and then out of the spotlight? Do you enjoy the attention?
I have to say it’s one of the biggest conversations that I have to have with myself when coming into this because as you mentioned, I am not a very public person on social media, and I like it that way. But I’m also realizing that being on the spotlight, gives me a chance to speak alongside my work, and that’s something that I am enjoying a lot more now.
Outside of NotEqual, what have you been up to?
This may sound boring outside of sewing – I don’t feel like I do much at all but recently I got back into DJing, which is something that I used to love to do when I was a teenager, but it is mostly so I can continue to the develop the runway tracks for my presentations, so in a way my hobbies are also related to my work. It’s kind of insane.
We are named after the Mariah Carey song and it is customary for us to ask everyone’s favourite Mariah song. However last time we spoke, you shockingly told us you were not a fan. Haha…so please tell us your favourite song by a Brasilian diva that we should listen to.
Anything, Anita or Pablo Vittar. Period. I feel like Brazil is camp and sexy in your face and bold. So anything you buy from these artists will deliver on that.
The two-part premiere of Bravo’s Project Runway All-Stars Season 20 will air on Thursday, June 15th starting at 8pm.
