Gay Dallas designers turn TV fame into a showcase for local fashions
ALL FIRED UP | Oscar Fierro is developed his upcoming show to showcase both his work and that of aspiring young designers.
Evening gowns and men’s underwear might sound like unlikely combinations coming down a runway, but then again, Oscar Fierro and James Martinez are an unlikely combination themselves. Long-time friends, these local designers shot to the national spotlight as the result of reality TV. Both had been finalists for multiple reality series before landing primo spots — Fierro on NBC’s Fashion Star last year, Martinez just earlier this year as a contestant on the current season of Project Runway.
But Dallas doesn’t have to tune into the tube to see their work — they, along with several other designers, will be showcasing their collections at Runway, a fashion show March 13 at the Belo Mansion.
When Fierro learned Martinez was going to be on Project Runway, he immediately pitched the idea of a joint show as a way to showcase their new collections.
“James knows I am all about quality when it comes to production and it would be a way to strengthen our brands,” says Fierro, who is planning a collection of the full-length gowns that have become his trademark, as well as men’s underwear; Martinez — known for his pants — will showcase 12 everyday-wear men’s looks in his collection, featuring vests and jackets. Martinez was specifically excited about his yellow hot pants in addition to a pair of divine black and white marble knit pants.
Though Fierro and Martinez have great respect for one another, their design processes and styles differ greatly. Martinez’s design process is technical, measured and precise, originating from sketches on his computer to pattern and sample makers.
“Things like my denim pants are a much longer process. I make several pair so that I can try different washes, colors, and treatments. I’ve been doing this for over four years and I learn something new every day,” Martinez says.
Fierro’s process, by contrast, is imaginative and broad-stroked.
“Basically, [I’m all about] draping selected fabrics on mannequin to create the piece,” he says. “Then I snap a photo and send the picture and a bolt of fabric to El Salvador for production. I am fortunate enough to work with people who understand my vision and we work through the details on the phone.”
FROM ‘RUNWAY’ TO RUNWAY | ‘Project Runway’ alum James Martinez teamed with friend and fella reality star Oscar Fierro for a fashion show.
They decided to open up to the show to five other local designers, to give them the opportunity to be in the spotlight as well (as many of them have also been finalists for reality shows).
Of course, it takes more than talent to break into a fashion reality series; producers also want someone they can work emotionally.
“If the casting director can’t make you cry when you should cry or laugh when you should laugh, you’re not going to make it. He has to be able to read your full range of emotions and know who you really are,” says Fierro.
That accessibility allowed Fierro to take control from the very beginning, telling the casting director when she could interview him and that he would be the designer representing Dallas on the show.
“She expected to see a bitch and diva that was confident and when I got there that was exactly who I was, the real deal,” says Fierro.
Attitude made him into a polarizing figure on Fashion Star, even when buyers and judges turned on him during the second week, but Fierro insists upon his success.
“My goal was not to become a famous designer but to become famous,” he says.
For Martinez, his third attempt getting on Project Runway proved the charm, once he shed his cockiness. He also talked openly about being bullied as a child, which changed how the show’s producers perceived him.
“I used to dress certain ways most guys wouldn’t dress — like wearing Capri pants,” Martinez says. “I wasn’t a big kid and my sister would have to pull me out of fights. I think the fact that I was hurt so much as a kid is what really makes me who I am and that is what they liked. This last interview they [the producers] said. ‘We’ve seen you before in Atlanta and Chicago. We remember you exactly how you are so why are you so different?’ It was a reality check.”
It ended up not serving Martinez in the long run — he was the second designer booted this season. Still he wouldn’t have changed a thing and remains true to who he is.
“For me it’s all about the credentials. It doesn’t matter how far I lasted but that I was on it. I know so many people that applied for it. My immediate friends and family who have never bought anything before are now asking me to make them a pair of pants,” he says.
Though both designers were cut relatively early during their reality series, neither take it personally.
“At the end of the day, it’s television, it’s entertainment,” says Fierro.•
— J. Denton Bricker
This article appeared in the Dallas Voice print edition March 8, 2013.