Mondo Guerra—who you may know from last season of Project Runway (he was the one who got robbed of the win!)—is back in New York City for a few days. While he's still making strikingly gorgeous clothes (seriously, totally robbed!), he's also leading the national HIV education campaign Living Positive By Design alongside fellow show alum Jack Mackenroth. The two will be at the 26th Annual AIDS Walk in Central Park this coming Sunday, and earlier this week Mondo told us about his latest endeavor, what we should all be wearing this summer, and what spots to hit up for the best fashion finds in the city.
Where are you living now? Are you happy to be back in New York for a few days? Right now I’m living in Denver, Colorado. Although my family has been living there for five generations now, I’m actually thinking about moving to NYC. I used to live on the Lower East Side, so I definitely love coming back and visiting NYC. Seeing all my friends—and how everything changes, but stays the same—is so exciting.
Any tips on what we should be wearing this summer? For me it’s all about the bright colors and mixed patterns. If you wear too much black, I challenge you to take a stand, tackle your closet and pull out the bold colors and bright colors. Make it a happy outfit!
Any sage fashion advice for New Yorkers on a budget? I would say keep it simple. Find reasonably priced good quality basics that are versatile and you can wear over and over in different ways. Then, when you can, splurge and invest in a stand out piece to pull the whole look together.
Where's the best shopping in the city? St. Marks, definitely. Check-out the Sock Man and Trash &Vaudeville.
On a non-fashion tip, where are your favorite spots to hit up when you're in town? That’s a tough one, since I have so many favorites. Some of my best memories are from the Metropolitan Opera House, MoMa, the Rose Garden in Central Park and BONDST Sushi. Oh and I miss the old Coney Island! My friend Lani and I used to get matching airbrushed Hello Kitty t-shirts every time we went.
What are you working on now? I’m working on my partnership with Merck, Living Positive By Design. I’m also designing; I just finished showing my Fall 2011 line and am putting the finishing touches on my new jewelry line. My goal is to have a line out for Spring/Summer 2012.
Can you tell us a little bit about Living Positive By Design?Living Positive By Design is an HIV education campaign supported by Merck. As someone living with HIV today, I know that there are so many things to discuss with your doctors in order to manage your disease effectively, like viral load and CD-4 cell counts, considering side effects that can make staying on some treatments difficult. Also, today many of us may be dealing with a variety of health concerns beyond just HIV. It is important to discuss your overall health and any health concerns you have when talking to about HIV treatment options with your doctors, such as managing cholesterol levels. Through Living Positive By Design I want to encourage people living with the disease to have a positive outlook on life and have this important conversation with their doctor. By sharing my personal story, I also hope to combat the stigma still associated with the disease, especially in the Hispanic community as it is disproportionately affected by the HIV epidemic.
Fellow Project Runway alum Jack Mackenroth and I are going to be traveling the country on behalf of the campaign supported by Merck to help raise awareness and really combat the stigma associated with HIV.
How did you decide to announce your HIV status on the show? It really wasn’t planned. Being on the show is such a whirlwind, and seeing my mom added to the emotion. When I got up on the runway and was talking to the judges, I felt like I had to take that chance, not only for myself, but for people living with HIV everywhere. It felt like a huge weight was lifted off my shoulders, and I really hope that I inspired other people who might be hesitant to disclose their status due to stigma.
It's been a little while since your season of Project Runway ended—have there been some lasting life-changing effects it's had on you? Of course! Project Runway was a great experience, and even though I didn’t plan to come out about by HIV-positive status on the show. It has had a huge effect on both my private and public life. My family is so important to me and I’m so happy to be 100% open and honest about who I am with my family, friends and fans; I really feel like myself now. I’m also so proud to be able to be a positive voice and role model for others who may be in a similar situation that I was in. Being able to be a part of Living Positive By Design helps to extend my messages and offer hope and encouragement to so many people. For me, it’s really an amazing and inspiring experience.
Personally, we have to say you were robbed of the big win... did you feel you deserved to win? Do you keep in touch with Gretchen? You know, I really put my whole heart into my work and at the end of the day Gretchen came out on top. She’s a talented designer and I really only wish the best for her and the rest of the designers. I keep in touch with much of the cast. In fact, several of them are walking with me at AIDS Walk NY to support the important cause.
Will you be on the newly announced Project Runway All Stars? It would be so great to work with everyone at Project Runway, again. As of right now, the cast isn’t final so we’re really not sure who will be on it.
Who are your favorite designers (not necessarily on the show)? There’s so many, but if I had to narrow it down I would say Elsa Schiaparelli, Paca Rabanne, Edith Head and also Marc Jacobs.
What advice would you give to aspiring designers? Stay true to yourselves! I think our designs are the most successful when we really put our hearts into them.
