If there is anyone who knows the ins and outs of Womenswear, it’s award-winning fashion designer Brandon Maxwell. Since founding his luxury women’s ready-to-wear label in 2015, Brandon has made quite a name for himself. Some of his accomplishments just this year include winning the CFDA Award for Womenswear Designer of the Year, dressing Lady Gaga for the 2019 Met Gala, and, last but not least, being a judge on Project Runway.
Maxwell recently sat down with Who What Wear and dished on it all.
On Being a first-time Judge for this season’s Project Runway:
For me, being there, I felt like the world seized the glamorous side of [fashion], but the truth of the matter is that 99% of the time, you’re just trying to keep the light bill paid and you’re working many hours a day. Although it is incredible, and we are so fortunate to be able to do something every day that makes another person feel good, I don’t want to mislead anyone, especially younger people looking to get into the business. It’s not all champagne and parties.
I know we’re supposed to judge challenge by challenge, but I really do judge on the overall body of the work I’ve seen so far because I do understand that not every runway look or runway show is going to be your best every single time. It’s about getting back up when you’ve fallen or when you’ve made a mistake and you’re trying to do better. It’s really up to them to use this launching pad to become the star, because we can’t do that for them.
I’m the only one on the show who has never been on TV previously. For me, it was a totally new experience in general. There’s a lot to deal with to even get used to having your body on television. Having cameras all around you, going into hair and makeup, Spanx, and getting comfortable in your own skin were all things I was really unprepared for. Also, they probably don’t show it a lot, but behind the scenes and on the show, we were all very emotional because looking at the contestants up there is kind of like holding up a mirror up to yourself.
On Dressing Lady Gaga in the ultimate show stopper for the Met Gala this year:
[Gaga and I] have been best friends for over a decade. We were actually on a trip for her birthday just with our best friends talking about it a little bit by the pool—going to the Met together. We worked together, as I was her stylist for many years, so that line of friendship and creativity is all sort of blurred. I think people probably imagine we sit down at a table and come up with some idea, but it’s really just evolved naturally.
We went back and forth talking about whether or not she should change [looks], which is also something she’s done many times. I think that she’s very camp in her person. She really embodies what that is, and so it would’ve been very hard to say in one dress the story that we were trying to tell, which was less of a story of the clothes and more of a story of the person.
On Summer Wardrobe Staples:
What I would say for summer trends, no matter the season, is that every woman needs a great pair of black pants, a blazer, and a little black dress, and you’re good.
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