by Gina Scarpa

Last Thursday, designer Anna McCraney was crowned the winner of Bravo’s The Fashion Show.  Up against James-Paul Ancheta and Daniella Kallmeyer, Anna pulled in the highest numbers of votes from fans and walked away with the top prize.  Daniella was named the favorite by the judges, which earned her a $10,000 prize.  James-Paul, on the other hand, went home empty handed.  Today, he spoke to RealityWanted in an interview and though he’s proud of the work he did on the show, he didn’t hold back when it came to his opinions of dramatic designers and the winner of The Fashion Show.

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: What was your design background prior to coming on the show?
A. James-Paul: Prior to the show I wanted to step beyond the limited boundaries of a textbook and traditional fashion design approaches. So I decided to go to London to really surround myself with people who have been leading fashion movements. I have two Bachelors Honours in Fashion Design, I was trained under former Vivienne Westwood designers at my university, where I have developed my theory in Rectangles and Squares as well as the Post-Colonialist works. Then I developed those theories by putting it into practice at the Vivienne Westwood Studios in Battersea London, not only did I developed as a designer but my skill level in sewing, draping, and pattern making changed into Vivienne Westwood's techniques. I also had training in Haute Couture Millinery from Madame Prudence who was trained by Cristobal Balenciaga milliners.

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: You and Angel hit it off early on in the competition. What was it that made you two gravitate towards each other?
A. James-Paul: Angel and I share an advance fashion language that nobody in the show learnt. Most of what the other contestant knows are primitive and unchallenged I have not seen it practiced in Europe. The relationship was a natural unforced bond. Angel and I were very secure as designers because of our credentials and our own methods in designing fashion were our own.

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: There was quite a bit of drama this season but you managed to stay out of it. How did you deal with that side of being on The Fashion Show?
A. James-Paul: Prayer to God kept me out of the drama. Many people do not know that my family came to this country without any money and my brothers and sisters and I were homeless for the first six months in America. We had our clothes in garbage bags and slept in a car garage that a friend of my father had. It taught me about what I have is intangible compare to the other designers. Before I left the Philippines, I had two friends who collected garbage for money and one of them lived in makeshift near a garbage dump and one who lived under the bridge.  I told them about me going to America, they said, "Out of many people, you are the luckiest" I learned about the value of hard work and keeping the integrity of the people who are around me, I was there to show what my capabilities were, I really focused on my craft. And because there were a lot of insecurities in the other contestants regarding their skills and talents, they created a situation that reflected their work ethic and shows how they need to develop their communication skills without degrading each other. It cheapens some of them, specially the people who would gossip behind the scenes and bullied people on the set.

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: What was the most helpful piece of advice that Isaac Mizrahi gave you this season?
A. James-Paul: I love Isaac Mizrahi.  In spirit, he knew who I was and I thank him for recognizing the genius of my passion.

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: How long did you have to construct your final collection and how did you feel about it?
A. James-Paul: My final collection took ten weeks to make. It felt great making the collection, I am very happy of the outcome. There is certainly a great pressure in creating the collection for the people.

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: When the final votes were revealed, you came in third. Are you satisfied with the experience of being on The Fashion Show?
A. James-Paul: I think the show compromised my collection. It feels like the show was suggestive of who the winner would be, it was in the wordings of the judges from the start I knew I was not going to be number one, and it made me fearless on the outcome of each episode. It's all part of big scheme.

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: What do you think it was about Anna's work this season that made her come out of this season as the winner?
A. James-Paul: Nothing, consider the demographics of the people who watch the Fashion Show at 10:00 p.m. on Thursdays. They are mostly older women who buy clothes at their local mall, and stays at home on Thursday nights and Friday nights. The demographics of the women that wear my clothes are successful women, and technologically savvy. They go out Thursday evenings and Friday nights so they record the program. They are busy in their lives, they are always on the go. So, from 10:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m., the people who stays at home and have time to vote are not leaders in fashion, they are shoppers of clothing and garments. They are safe consumers who will wait until they see a large majority wear her clothes. My women are leaders in fashion, they set the trend, and people would follow what they do.

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: When I interviewed Angel, she mentioned the possibility of the two of you collaborating in the future. Any more details on that?
A. James-Paul: I instructed Angel not to reveal any of the details. But this is going to be an interesting collection.

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: What is in the future for you? Do you think that being on The Fashion Show will help your career?
A. James-Paul: In the future I would like to establish a brand being sold all over leading fashion capitals in the world. The show created a spot light to all the alternative designers within the United States who are struggling. I hope that it made these designers stand their ground and help contribute to the fashion industry and the American economy.


(Image courtesy of Bravo)

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