JOE FARIS MOST DISTINCTIVE FASHION STAR

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THE PASCHA'S CORNER
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Joe Faris And Tim Gunn

In the world of fashion, JOE FARIS has become known as one of the most distinctive competitors on the top-rated television show, PROJECT RUNWAY. Although he did not win Season Five, of which he was part of the cast, he has come away from the program as one of the most famous and distinctive designers to emerge from it. In 2009, he will unleash a series of new projects that will propel him in the worlds of media and fashion.The first line of clothing that Faris designed came in 2000, which he entitled RedFly (www.redflyusa.com/Joe_Faris/Joe_Faris.html) . Now, he is at work launching a “Joe Faris” line comprised of jeans, men’s and women’s jean jackets, tee shirts, and woven shirts that will debut in the fall.As he explains it, “What I do as a designer is create lines that people want to wear all the time. There are three items that I like to coordinate: 1) Jeans, 2) T-Shirts, and, 3) Leather Jackets. Everyone feels comfortable in clothes like that, and they aren’t just for special occasions like designer suits and dresses.”One of Joe’s passions is working in leather, particularly leather jackets. He enjoys developing the colors and textures of the leather and creating something truly unique. That way no two garments are exactly alike when they are finished. According to Faris, “I love how a great leather jacket wears, molds around your body, and becomes part of you. You are limited to the size of pieces, they can’t be too small, and they are all unique. Then, the finished garment is more like one of a kind artwork.” He also likes working with denim, and developing washes to change the look of it, and make it look unique.Arriving in Manhattan from his native Detroit, he applied to Parsons School of Art & Design in New York City, but found that his academic grades were not where they needed to be to instantly be accepted. So he spent the next two years in Boston where he earned his Associates Degree from Chamberlain College of Fashion. After that he moved to Manhattan where he was accepted to Parsons. Fast forward to Project Runway. According to Joe, he would be told by friends that he should audition for the program, but he hesitated. Finally, when it came time for the show to accept applications for Season Five, Joe filled out an application. However, he hesitated when it came time to send it into the show’s producers. As he recalls, “I was kind of between jobs, and I applied. But, I didn’t send it in. Then, my daughter saw the application on the counter, and she insisted that I actually submit it. So, I applied and there was a lot of hand wringing for three months, and background checks, and being called in for more trial.” According to Joe, “We filmed 12 episodes of Project Runway in five weeks. It was an incredible experience, even with the pressure and the sleep deprivation. I loved it all, and the cast was great to work with. Tim Gunn is the most genuine, greatest guy; he is exactly like he is in person. When I was in the audition process, I had met Tim, so when filming began, I felt that I knew him. However, none of us met Heidi until production had started. When I first saw Heidi, I was amazed by how stunning she is in person.”What is she like to work with? Explain Faris, “On camera, Heidi Klum has more of a front that she puts up on camera. But in real life—when the camera is not running—she is such a warm and amazing person.”Faris arrives in Manhattan Monday for a series of media appearances and some press … but, we got him first here at Times Square Gossip.