An Interview With Austin Scarlett

Just reccently this intrepid geeky fashion addict was treated to a wonderful surprise. The Shoppes at Chino Hills put on an enthusiastic and fun filled night of fashion that was highlighted by a speech and commentary from none other than famous and fabulous fashion designer Austin Scarlett, who graciously agreed to answer a couple questions for all of us here at Forbidden Panel!

For those of you who may not know who this is let me give you a quick rundown. Most recently Mr. Scarlett is the creator of a line of bridal and formal gowns that will be premiering later this month and will be carried by Neiman-Marcus. He has been a renowned and sought after bridal designer as well as a contributor to the arts through costume design for the Greenwich Music Festival, Aspen Santa Fe Ballet, and many other arts inspired venues. Oh and he was on a little show called Project Runway.

As a member of the season one Project Runway cast, Austin helped to bring the talent and skill based reality series forward as a viable TV genre and soon similar shows like Top Chef followed. In episode after episode he showcased his point of view that feminine and elegant never go out of style. His very first gown, made from cornhusks, in the unconventional materials challenge is still talked about to this day, seven years later which is a lifetime in an industry that is always on the lookout for today’s next big thing.

His popularity and grace under fire netted him a season of his own series, co-starring Project Runway season two competitor Santino Rice, On the Road With Austin and Santino. The show followed the two intrepid designers cross country as they put together fabulous outfits for women out of locally found materials.

Earlier this year Austin once again graced the Project Runway stage as a competitor in the first ever season of Project Runway All-stars. As a fan of Mr. Scarlett’s work I can say that I really enjoy the whimsy and softness that he brings to his designs. The world has become a rather harsh place in the past decades and it is very refreshing to see designs that showcase the essence of femininity without adding vulnerability or weakness. Austin’s clothes display his belief that femininity in and of itself is strength to be showcased.

 

On to this past Saturday though. The event was packed- standing room only. As the late summer sun dipped toward the horizon we were treated some insight into Mr. Scarlett’s younger life and advice for young designers including an impromptu question and answer period. The show itself was very well put on, showcasing Fall designs being carried in stores found in the Shoppes and featuring local models , student models, and even a few local dignitaries including the Mayor of Chino Hills. Mr. Scarlett gave a running commentary on the designs as they walked the runway and offered encouragement to the models as they strutted their stuff, even going so far as to give encouraging words to the local dignitaries who were a little nervous but fabulous just the same.

As the crowd lined up for a meet and greet Mr. Scarlett took a few moments to answer a couple of questions for us.

     Mr. Scarlett- as a designer who embraces femininity for femininity’s sake how do you feel about comic book and action hero genres coming to the forefront and such masculinized female characters being pushed forward in pop culture?

“Well, I feel that femininity is strong in itself. These characters add to the cultural persona of women and that will always be complex and rightly so. Some women need strength and their clothes can help give them that strength and these characters can give them a picture of what that looks like and how they can emulate it. To me the flexibility of the feminine, bending instead of breaking, flowing and retaining its identity is a strength that is hard to see all the time but is steady and true nonetheless.”

As geek culture becomes more and more mainstream, and considering the emergence of geek fashion, do you feel that the focused and almost obsessive fandom will bring anything to the fashion industry?

“ Of course. Any passion will bring something to any industry. The more people that feel that way about fashion, and bring their creativity and passion it can only be a good thing.”

As a fan I have to ask- is it possible that you will ever tackle designing for super heroines? I would love to see you do a gown for Wonder Woman.

“Oh my, yes. I can’t believe no one has given her a gown yet who else could deserve looking fabulous more? Those colors and lines I could see a sort of gorgeous dress with her colors and coloring. Maybe even substitute an invisible limo for her jet for an evening out.”

 

As I look back on the evening I can say that it was a pleasure talking to Mr. Scarlett and seeing him interact with his fans. After a long day including a cross country flight from his home city of New York he never showed fatigue and spent several moments talking to each fan who came forward for a photo, leaning in to listen to what they had to say and taking time to give a thoughtful answer and ask questions of his own. Especially with younger fans he got down to their level and showed honest and sincere interest in what they were saying. It isn’t often that those deemed famous have the level of interest in their fans that Mr. Scarlett gave. It was an absolute pleasure to attend his event and to call myself a fan.

Again thank you to The Shoppes at Chino Hills for hosting the event with such style and professionalism, as well as a large thank you to Mr. Scarlett for allowing me to impose on his time and ask a few questions and for doing so with such grace and goodwill.