Lifetime's hit sewing show Project Runway returns for a 13th season this summer with a Chicago contestant once again
making it work.
Alexander Knox is only 22 and is originally from Kankakee, Illinois. He is currently attending Columbia College and won the Future of Chicago Fashion Award. His work with drag queens and location in Boystown has made this openly gay designer one we had to talk to face to face.
Knox talked after a controversial runway showing the night before where he was almost voted off.
Windy City Times: Hi, Alexander. Where did you watch last night's episode?
Alexander Knox: At home with my parents.
WCT: Have you had any parties where you watched it?
Alexander Knox: It is funny because my school Columbia has had viewing parties, which is just crazy. I never thought in a million years
there would be a life size poster of myself at my school. Students are hosting parties but I just go home and watch it with my
mom and dad. For last night's episode I did not want to be with anyone.
WCT: Do people recognize you on the street?
Alexander Knox: It ranges from 13 year old girls to women in their sixties. Someone asked me to take a picture when I was at the 7-
Eleven yesterday and she was trembling. It takes getting used to.
WCT: You grew up in Chicago?
Alexander Knox: I grew up an hour south, in Kankakee. I moved here three years ago and have been here ever since.
WCT: Did you always love fashion growing up?
Alexander Knox: I did. It really started because my mom was artistic and always encouraged it. I would go to art shows for paintings. I would buy $30 fashion magazines and try to re-draw the dresses in there. I tried to recreate what I was drawing by sewing it and that is how it started.
WCT: Then you went to Columbia, eventually?
Alexander Knox: I am still a student there. I am the only person on Project Runway who has ever been a student still enrolled and 22 years old.
WCT: You live in Boystown?
Alexander Knox: I just moved there. I used to live in Humboldt Park; then I moved over there because I do a lot of drag-queen costumes.
I literally live right around the corner from who I do the costumes for with the Neverland [costume] parties. I love it.
WCT: So you are working with Hydrate Nightclub a lot?
Alexander Knox: Yes, and Kim Chi is my drag-queen muse. Kim wanted my coat originally when we met but I couldn't give it away so we collaborated to make something. There was a party and things went into a spiral doing the costumes for them.
WCT: You used all of this on your video audition for Project Runway.
Alexander Knox: They loved it as a parallel but still the same thing.
WCT: Was it hard to get on the show?
Alexander Knox: It was weird because one of my teachers told me to apply in the middle of my finals. I was literally going insane. I had six looks due in a week! One of my teachers sent me an application. Project Runway sends it to the alumni. Even though I was not an [alumnus], she encouraged me to do it because of my personality. I had my friend film a video and I just sent it in.
I got a call back to meet at the James Hotel to show my garments. I was not expecting Tim Gunn to be there. I almost fell out of my chair. I said, "Get out of here!" Tim says," I can't get out of here and neither can youI haven't interviewed you yet!" At that point, it started feeling real.
Tim told me he didn't want me at that time because he wanted me to graduate. As an educator at Parsons, he wanted me to finish school then come back. They called me back though and wanted me for the show. I literally walked outside and my phone started beeping, and they wanted another interview with the producers and myself.
WCT: When did this happen?
Alexander Knox: It was just in May.
WCT: It was "make it work" time!
Alexander Knox: Yes!
WCT: What do you think of mentor Tim Gunn?
Alexander Knox: Tim is one of the most influential people I have ever met in my entire life. Just being compared to Christian Siriano, who won, almost made me fall over in the interview. Tim told me my work didn't look like student work and has been so supportive.
WCT: How about the judges?
Alexander Knox: You don't really get to know the judges. You see them at the evaluations. Nina, Heidi and Zac all bring something different.. Zac Posen knows fashion. He can look at a garment like last night and see my line was off. I think it is amazing for someone who has been in this industry and been so successful to give me a critique.
It goes for all of them. Having Heidi Klum and Nina Garcia look at your work has been great.
WCT: They were tough on you last night.
Alexander Knox: "Planet of the Apes!" If it wasn't bad hearing it then, but to have it be the promo moment and knowing damn well they were talking about me was really hard. I Googled Planet of the Apes and saw it. I don't know why I chose that leather and that green. It was only two shades off from the movie costumes!
WCT: If you could go back and do it again, what would you do?
Alexander Knox: I would definitely would have pulled back from my love of doing things that were darker. I am not saying that I have
an apocalyptic view of the future but I didn't want it to be a fun, fruity future. It was inspired by my mother who is a strong woman. I wanted it to be warrior-esque, but not Planet of the Apes! You have 30 minutes to sketch and 30 minutes in Mood, which is a three-story fabric store. There are 60 rolls on top of each other, and you have to pull them out to look. It is like an aneurysm in there! It is six-to-eight-hour workdays, so you have to know what you are doing.
My flaw was that I questioned myself when I was making this top. My model was super busty and it was difficult to make a fitted top for her. I ended up giving her a uniboob. If I had more time to execute my original idea, I would not have been in the bottom.
WCT: At least you were featured more on last night's episode as opposed to other ones.
Alexander Knox: In the first episodes they were focusing on drama and I am more low key than some of the other designers on the show.
WCT: What contestants were you drawn toward?
Alexander Knox: They talked about people being clique-y last night. I would say Sean Kelly because he has so much experience for how old he is. It is what I aspire to. He's worked in Denmark and under Alexander McQueen, and is 25 years old. We respected each other as designers.
WCT: Sounds like you are getting a lot out of the show already.
Alexander Knox: Definitely. I have gained friendships and knowledge.
WCT: Now you are an [alumnus].
Alexander Knox: It is crazy. When the show started I remember being little and watching it. I would watch it and sketch what I would do if I were on the show. My mom still has some of the drawings I did. Now I am on the show and it is insane to think about!
Project Runway struts closer to Fashion Week and a $100,000 Thursdays on Lifetime.