First Pinoy 'Runway' designer reigns supreme

MANILA, Philippines - Before we get back into the Pacquiao-Clottey frenzy, another heavyweight is shedding blood, this time, on the runway. There is no stopping the Filipino. Thirty-one-year-old Philippine-born Jay Nicolas Sario is the very first Noypi blood on the ruthless designer competition series Project Runway.

Jay, who grew up in sunny Hawaii, already knew how to sketch designs at 11. Although he took some studies at OTIS College of Art and Design and at the Honolulu Community College, the young designer decided to drop out of school to focus on his career in fashion design and to move to San Francisco. That decision alone brought Jay to Gap, where he works as a visual merchandiser and lead stylist for the Kids Division. Today, Jay Nicolas Sario is a certified Manhattan trooper on Runway’s seventh season. Although the show’s second year with Lifetime Channel has not yet aired on Philippine television, we never failed to exercise our YouTube and torrent rights. We just had to take a peek at how our very own blood brother is doing on the Runway battle.

In fact, if you don’t mind us squealing some spoilers, Jay has won two challenges on the competition — more than any contestant on the season (as of writing). His first coup, “The Fashion Farm” challenge where they had to create a party look out of a burlap potato sack, proved that the designer has a strong point of view. And that is probably why Jay has become one of the strong contenders on Runway. His visions are uninfluenced. During his first challenge, he was able show his aesthetics — dramatic, textured, and three-dimensional (three adjectives that also describe an Imelda terno). And watch out for his fifth creation as Jay creates a dress that has resemblance to the banig texture. What’s more, styling has become one of his strengths in the competition as he is both stylist and designer. Last week’s challenge, his second win, is probably his strongest creation to date. We have seen pseudo-avant-garde designers trying to create “clothes” out of garbage bags, but Jay’s design is all about the-new-decade perspective. It is finally our time.

Who are your design inspirations?

JAY NICOLAS SARIO: Alexander McQueen, Balenciaga, Marc Jacobs and Rodarte.

Who is your style icon?

Sarah Jessica Parker.

Who is your favorite past Project Runway designer?

Christian Siriano, Season 4.

What was your first creation?

It looked like a school uniform jumper in twill. I thought it was cute.

What’s your music of choice while designing?

Dance music with a little of country.

Before you became a designer, you were …

Cashier at the Home Depot.

What are your fashion must-haves?

Pairs of expensive, great-fitting jeans and big sunglasses.

Favorite material to work with?

Wool, tweed, denim, leather; anything that can give structure and texture.

What’s the item you’re most proud of designing?

Jackets that are one-of-a-kind and very feminine.

What is your biggest fear as a designer?

The economy.

What is the ugliest thing you’ve ever worn?

A pair of Doc Martens strappy sandals that I wore with nylon cargo pants.

Which celebrity would you like to design for?

Angelina Jolie.

Who is your model muse?

Raquel Zimmermann.

If you had to name your label, you’d call it ...

Jay Nicolas Sario.

Dream place to set up your design business?

Los Angeles, California.

Another place you wish you could design for?

Japan

Marriage or kids?

Gay and living with a partner. We want to have kids in the next 10 years.

What were you called when you were a kid?

Boyet.

(Sources: Lifetime Channel and MyLifetime.com.)