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Carol Hannah Whitfield has been living in Brooklyn for almost a year, but she still thinks of herself as a Southern girl.
Born and raised in Anderson and a graduate of the College of Charleston (where she studied business administration, art and marketing), the 24-year-old tries to visit home as much as possible, but it might get a lot harder after Season 6 of “Project Runway” starts on Aug. 20.
Whitfield might be amongst the youngest contestants this season, but “Runway” mentor Tim Gunn, in an interview with People magazine, said “people will be disarmed by what they see her achieve.”
Whitfield says she’s still getting used to the attention, which she calls “surreal.”
Did you think that being from a small town was a help or a hindrance as you started to establish yourself as a designer?
Both. It’s nice to be from somewhere (where doing fashion design) isn’t so common. Having a different perspective is always good. It’s great to come from somewhere where you’re seeing different things and drawing inspiration from different things. But at the same time, you need to be in a fashion center to get things done.
Why did you decide to audition for “Project Runway?” Were you a fan of the show before? Oh yeah, I’ve watched the show for a long time. I had “Project Runway” parties. I got tired of saying, “Oh, I could do that, I could do a better job than that.” I knew I could do it, and it looked like a good time and a good way to put my career on the fast track. The timing worked out really well. I was showing my collection for Charleston Fashion Week, so I had the stuff and I was ready to audition.
How did your friends and family in Anderson react to your being cast on the show? They’re so excited. I have an incredible support system. I told them in quick succession I was going to be moving to New York and that I’d be doing the show. They’d say, “You’re not reality TV material.” I’d always thank them. Or maybe I am more than you think!
Who are your favorite contestants from seasons past? I met Jillian Lewis from Season 4 at Charleston Fashion Week, and she was really encouraging. I also like Daniel Vosovic (Season 2), Nick Verreos (Season 2) and Mychael Knight (Season 3).
Has the aesthetic of South Carolina influenced the way you design? Definitely. My work has a lot of Southern influence. Even though I’m not there anymore, when I went back to Charleston, I jump-started my next collection off of that trip. I’m still highly influenced by the area. I am evolving, I’m moving into things that are more urban with harder touches, but my work is still very soft and very feminine.
You’ve said that you’ve “been lucky enough to find (your) calling at an early age.” Was there a defining moment when you knew this is what you were going to do? I never know what to say to that question. It’s something I knew I loved from an early age, but it took me a long time to accept it as my path. I was a big nerd in high school, I was very academic. Fashion was something fun to do on the side. It was something I had a skill for, but there wasn’t necessarily a definite moment.
How do you think the show has influenced design? It’s a great way for the average person to approach fashion in a different way. It takes away some of the snootiness. Most people are not reaching for high fashion pieces in their day-to-day lives. The show brings something accessible to the table.
You specialize in designing dresses. Can you talk about the challenges on the show that required you to go outside your comfort zone and how you dealt with that? It was definitely a stretch. But you go into it realizing you’re at risk of doing something that’s totally not you. Being versatile is just as important as all those other things. If you can’t adapt, you’re kind of limited. But there were some scary things. It was like, “Oh my gosh, what am I going to do? OK, now I’m breathing…”
What was the relationship like between you and the other designers? Was there as much backbiting and drama this season as there seemed to be in past seasons? It depends on the person, each person. I made some of the most amazing friends I’ve ever had on the show. You’re not going to click with everyone, but one of the things I was most grateful for, is that we were all so talented, and we all have our own unique points of view for design. There was a lot of drama. You’ll have to wait and see if I’m involved!
Did Tim Gunn ever drop a “make it work!” on you? Every day. He’s so great. He’s exactly the same in real life as he seems on TV.
Who is your dream client? Zooey Deschanel. She’s cute and quirky and charming. She’s off the standard beaten path.
What would you design for her? Oh, 1,000 dresses.
On your LinkedIn profile, you talk about wanting to give women a healthy self-image. Can you talk about that? It’s one of my core goals in terms of where I want to take my company and my (clothing) line. I have a love-hate thing with fashion. I love it, but I never liked the whole judgmental side, the catty side, the whole, I’m-cuter-than-you-are side. I never want my clothes to contribute to that. I’m hoping to partner up with different associations so I can have an effect on getting rid of some aspect of that.
What are your goals for post-“Project Runway?” My whole goal is to get my work out there. For a lot of designers, it’s kind of a struggle. It’s such a great way to show people what I can do. That’s really the main goal for me.
Are you prepared to be a reality TV star? No. I don’t know how an average person could prepare for this ever. It’s had a little time to settle in, but it’s still really surreal. There are these videos of us on Lifetime, and we were in the new issue of People magazine. It’s so surreal. Oh my goodness. It’s pretty crazy, but it’s really fun.
"Project Runway" premieres at 10 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 20. And don't forget, it's on Lifetime this season!
