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| Michael Costello, center, surrounded by new friends. I'm on the far left. |
"I didn't know I was such a strong person," Michael said Friday when we sat down for a chat at a coffee shop in Palm Springs, Ca. "It was painful being there without Richard (his life partner of seven years), without my son, without my mom."
He had limited communication with his family during the nearly eight weeks the reality TV series was taped in New York City.
Michael's strength was evident during a group design challenge when some teammates attempted to "throw him under the bus" -- an expression host Heidi Klum has used a lot this season. Michael remained calm, confident and positive. The experience seemed to galvanize him.
Perhaps his Christian faith was the source of his inner strength.
"I prayed every day, sometimes two or three times a day," he said. He also fasted a few times.
Another thing he learned about himself: He's an eye-roller.
"I roll my eyes a lot at Ivy," Michael said of the shows. Ivy Higa was an outspoken contestant who didn't always appreciate her competitors' skills. She recently was eliminated from the show.
Whether they love Michael's design aesthetic or not, critics cannot deny he's worked hard and long to achieve success in the fashion industry.
At age 27, he could be considered a veteran designer in some circles. He started designing at 13 and producing custom-made clothes at 15, which is when he opened a store with his father's support in Palm Springs. He said he closed the store when he ran out of space; he wanted a bigger place. He now shares a commercial space in Orange County, Ca.
Michael has established a celebrity client list during his design career that includes Paris Hilton, Nicole Richie, Toni Braxton and Mischa Barton. Since appearing on the show, he's gotten some feedback from Barton. She advised him, as only a friend would, to never again wear the gray shirt he wore in an episode because it made him look fat, Michael said.
Because of his business experience and famous clients, "Project Runway" judges asked Michael during his tryout why he needed the show. His answer: "Celebrities are wonderful but a lot of them want stuff for free." He wanted to expand his customer base because he had bills to pay.
The upside of working with celebrities is that it prepared him for his own burgeoning celebrity, he said.
Still, it took him seven years and three attempts before he got on "Project Runway." He applied in 2003 but didn't go through with it when his father became ill, Michael said. His second try also didn't happen because of his father's illness, but this year he finally got to hear co-host Tim Gunn say those widely repeated words of encouragement, "Make it work."
Being on the show was a rewarding experience, Michael said. He wouldn't change anything about it -- well, except for some production elements such as appearing before the judges. "A lot of people don't know we're on that stage for three to six hours, not 45 minutes," he said. "Each person is critiqued for about 45 minutes."
The biggest reward was showing a collection at Lincoln Center, the site of this season's final runway show. "It literally had to be the pinnacle of my career, to this day," Michael said. He added that he's the first among the designers to show there, but he couldn't confirm because of contractual obligations whether he's the winning designer or finishes as a semi-finalist.
THE LAST WORD?
I have a wild hunch -- call it crazy -- that Michael gets Heidi's double-cheeked kiss-off "auf Wiedersehen" (German for goodbye) on this Thursday's episode of "Project Runway." But he's brought back to the show.
My prediction is based on the designer's plans to watch the show. He's hosting a party, with a "special guest" from New York, at a dance club where he will also show items from his clothing line. Guests can watch the episode there through a live feed.
And again there's the fact he's shown a collection at Lincoln Center. "I bring the drama, I bring the excitement," he said.
How he gets there is anyone's guess. Is he brought back as a fourth semi-finalist to compete for a spot in the finale? As diehard fans know, that's happened in past seasons, but the returning designer has never walked away with the top prize.
Will Michael be the first? Tune in Thursday to find out.
WHAT'S NEXT?
Michael is simultaneously working on three collections and planning to participate in Beverly Hills and LA fashion weeks.
"Right now my priority is my son (7-year-old Govani) but I want to get my three collections done," he said.
BIO
Name: Michael Costello
Age: 27
Favorite menswear designer: "I don't really care for menswear; I never have."
Favorite womenswear designers: Elie Saab and Roberto Cavalli
City of residence: Palm Springs, Ca.
Please let the special guest be Tim Gunn! Not Michael Kors please!
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