"Project Runway" contestant Michael Costello came to the end of his run on the Lifetime series Thursday night.
Some friends (Jim, Arden, Gary) and I watched as Michael received his farewell from Heidi and hugged and cried with the three remaining finalists. An argument could be made that the Palm Springs designer was cheated, as Heidi only kissed one of his cheeks. What's with that?
During the episode we were trying to determine whether Andy or Michael would get the ax. Most of us said Andy. Local loyalty and wishful thinking, perhaps.
I must admit Michael's departure was more dramatic than any our group had seen. Hanging his head, he lingered on the stage a bit longer than we've seen any other contestant stand there. Then backstage in the "kiss and cry" room he turned to the wall as if to pound out his disappointment with his fist or his head -- thankfully he didn't go there.
His comments were particularly sad. Michael seemed to have more at stake with winning "Project Runway" than many of his fans knew. He tearfully questioned how he could go back to his family not having won. Earlier in the episode his partner Richard spoke of a lack of support from Michael's family, which echoed concerns they shared with me during our interview a few weeks ago.
A major concern at that time was how to identify Richard in the blog. Richard said, "His mother wouldn't like it" if Richard was mentioned as Michael's partner. Michael suggested I identify Richard as his "assistant." To Michael's credit, when I called him later to clarify how I should identify Richard he agreed that "partner" was the best term.
In that moment he took a step toward claiming his new life. He said yes to publicly showing himself as a man in a loving, supportive relationship with another man, in addition to accepting the attention and opportunities that come with being on "Project Runway."
Last night, he quickly recovered from "having a moment" backstage and beamed the smile his show friends and fans have come to expect. Then he was off to pack up his stuff and leave.
Of course that took place weeks ago. In the time since then Michael has moved on. He's working on three collections, planning to show his work in at least two fashion week events, and courting producers for another reality TV series he would co-star in with Mondo Guerra.
Bravo, Michael -- uh, wishing you a LIFETIME of personal and professional success.
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