Where are they now?
HOLLYWOOD – They are more likely to be recognized at the local Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf now, but these “Project Runway” alumni are still struggling. In anticipation of the third season of the Bravo series, which began July 12, we caught up with former contestants living in the L.A. area.
Santino Rice, 31
Education: Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising
Known on the show for: Arguing with the judges and designing lederhosen lingerie
Home: Culver City, Calif.
Work: Custom-designing gowns; looking for investors to back a ready-to-wear line
Celebrity client: MTV VJ SuChin Pak
Favorite L.A. hangout: The Roxy
Lesson learned: “Until you know someone, saying anything negative about them isn’t appropriate.”
Nick Verreos, 39
Education: University of California, Los Angeles and Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising
Known on the show for: Winning the Barbie challenge with a hip girly-girl look
Home: Los Feliz section of Los Angeles
Work: Preparing for a trunk show of his Nikolaki collection on July 12 at fellow “Project Runway” contestant Emmett McCarthy’s New York store, emc2; teaching at L.A.’s Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising
Stores: Sirens and Sailors
Celebrity client: Brenda Strong from “Desperate Housewives”
Favorite L.A. hangout: El Chavo in Silver Lake
Lesson learned: “Don’t take on more than you can accomplish in the time you have.”
Raymundo Baltazar, 24
Education: Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising
Known on the show for: Being eliminated after dressing Barbie like a mom
Home: Los Feliz
Work: Designing puppet costumes for a TV pilot; freelance styling for Ed Hardy and designing his collection
Stores: Rocket Queen, Red Zone
Celebrity client: Still dreaming
Favorite L.A. hangout: Cha Cha Cha
Lesson learned: “You can’t always be the leader; sometimes you have to be part of a team.”
Guadalupe Vidal, 30
Education: Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising
Known on the show for: Earthy designs, including a dress with kooky removable flowers
Home: Koreatown
Work: Producing a gallery show about the influence of skateboarding on pop culture; designing her Plain Lucid collection
Favorite L.A. hangout: Pacific Design Center
Lesson learned: “There’s no hard feelings; it’s just fashion.”
John Wade, 25
Education: California State University, Northridge
Known on the show for: Being the first man out
Home: Fairfax district of L.A.
Work: Assistant manager at Marc Jacobs in L.A.
Celebrity client: Dreaming
Favorite L.A. hangout: Dime bar in the Fairfax district
Lesson learned: “Don’t inhibit yourself.”
Andrae Gonzalo, 33
Education: Otis College of Art and Design
Known on the show for: Crying on TV, and being Tim Gunn’s pet despite designing a dress out of dried moss
Home: East Hollywood
Work: Writing a book about “taking the fascism out of fashion”; designing
Celebrity client: Dreaming
Favorite L.A. hangout: The Thai grocery store on Hollywood Boulevard
Lesson learned: “You have to keep moving.”
Kirsten Ehrig, 38
Education: University of Southern California, Hastings College of Law
Known on the show for: Refusing to use her heirloom Hermes scarf and producing a dress that didn’t cover the model’s bum
Home: Bel-Air
Work: Producing O Maillots de Bain, her swimwear line embellished with 14 karat gold and semiprecious stones
Stores: www.omaillots.com
Celebrity clients: Kirsten Dunst, Mandy Moore and Jade Jagger (her husband is an agent at William Morris, which helps)
Favorite L.A. hangout: Koi restaurant and the Chateau Marmont
Lesson learned: “You catch more flies with honey than you do with vinegar.”
Kara Saun, 39
Education: Rutgers University
Known on the show for: Her Type A personality and techno-militaristic designs
Home: Sherman Oaks section of Los Angeles
Work: Just finished costumes for a Barry Sonnenfeld TV pilot; designing her own line
Stores: Laura Gambucci in La Jolla and Posh in Manhasset, N.Y.
Celebrity client: Dreaming
Favorite L.A. hangout: Toast on 3rd Street
Lesson learned: “Be true to yourself.”
Daniel Franco, 32
Education: Otis College of Art and Design
Known on the show for: Being the nice guy, with predictably classic clothes to match
Home: Mid-Wilshire district
Work: Designing his collection; pitching a TV show
Stores: Iconology in October
Celebrity client: Dreaming
Favorite L.A. hangout: The Short Stop in Echo Park
Lesson learned: “Never give up.”