by Todd Betzold

In his initial season, Mondo Guerra lost in the finals despite many people saying he deserved to win. When Project Runway All Stars started, those same people were thinking this was Mondo's time to redeem himself and finally get that victory. In the season finale, Mondo was crowned champion and received the biggest prize in the show's history. Today, we got an exclusive interview with him as he spoke about his victory, when we can find Mondo designs in stores near you and much more.

Q. Todd, RealityWanted: What made you want to come back and do Project Runway All Stars?
A. Mondo: When I was first approached about All Stars I was excited to be a part of it. Then, I got on set and realized that I had voluntarily put myself back into a grueling work schedule and high-pressure challenges. I was like, "Why did I do this to myself?" But ultimately, the decision to return to the show was to really push myself to create outside of my comfort zone and show how I've grown since season 8.

Q. Todd, RealityWanted: The last few challenges you struggled coming up with ideas and concepts for your designs, but Michael said that is when you do your best work and he was right because you were crowned the winner. Why were you having these struggles the last few weeks?
A. Mondo: I went into All Stars with some unresolved emotional baggage from my personal life and as much as I tried to ignore it, my issues kept interfering with my process. The only coping mechanism I had on the show was my work, so I poured myself into it. But by the end of the season, I was emotionally, physically, and mentally drained. It was a struggle to keep inspiration fresh.

Q. Todd, RealityWanted: It seemed like all the judges liked one piece from your collection during your critique. Did that get you thinking that you may be announced the winner?
A. Mondo: Honestly, I had no idea what was going through the judges' heads. I learned from season 8 that a positive critique does not always guarantee anything. I was very happy with what I sent down the runway and that was the most important thing to me.

Q. Todd, RealityWanted: When the other designers came back to help you out for 24 hours, what made you choose Mila to help you out?
A. Mondo: I love Mila's aesthetic and her work ethic is very strong. She's probably one of the most professional designers I've worked with and I knew I could depend on her to create something beautiful.

Q. Todd, RealityWanted: You came in second place during your initial season on Project Runway and now you are the winner of Project Runway All Stars. How does that feel?
A. Mondo: You know, a lot of people ask me if I feel like winning All Stars was like redemption, but I can't really look at it like that. I feel like focusing on the experience from that perspective is negative and unproductive. I'm grateful for the experience on both season 8 and All Stars and would rather focus on my future than holding on to past disappointments.

Q. Todd, RealityWanted: What was your favorite challenge this season?
A. Mondo: The Broadway Challenge! I'm totally one of those guys who loves the theatre and gets excited about shows, so it was a dream to have the opportunity to design for "Godspell." I was fortunate enough to catch one of the performances in NYC with Austin Scarlett and it was so cool to see my name mentioned in the playbill.

Q. Todd, RealityWanted: What can we expect next from you?
A. Mondo: I'm planning on taking a couple of months away from Denver and staying in NYC to really sink my teeth into what's on my plate. I'm excited to be working with Joanna Coles at Marie Claire and Ken Downing at Neiman Marcus--I have so much respect and admiration for them and really value their guidance and expertise. We are hoping to have some Mondo designs in Neiman Marcus by Fall 2012.

(Image courtesy of Lifetime)

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