Life After Takeoff! Catching Up with Last Season’s 'Project Runway' Winner: LEANNE MARSHALL

The phrase “Make it work!” has become synonymous in fashion with painstaking hard work, fierce competition, scathing critiques and emotional meltdowns but most importantly using ingenuity to complete seemingly impossible tasks. Unmistakably it’s 'Project Runway', which after an extended hiatus due to a biding war between networks for the rights to air season six will begin again on Lifetime on August 20th.

For its coveted $100,000 prize and editorial spread, the show has produced its share of colorful winners, including the highly commercially successful Christian Siriano. He will launch his second collection at New York Fashion Week this fall and has created shoes for Payless and cosmetics for Victoria’s Secret.

 
Project Runway, season four winner:
Christian Siriano

Christian Siriano

Christian Siriano

Christian Siriano

Christian Siriano

Of the competitors who’ve endured the extreme nature of this fashion showdown, none emerged with as much poise and quiet confidence as last season’s winner, Leanne Marshall. During her time on the show she rose above the fray of unnecessary antics and focused on her winning designs. The drama-free, good girl of reality television proved a fashion designer didn’t have to have a flamboyant, narcissistic, “artistic” temperament to be the best.

Season five winner, Leanne Marshall.

Months after winning her $100,000 prize she launched her first collection since the show for Fall/Winter 2009, shortly after moving to New York. I sat down with Leanne Marshall to discuss her big win, her new collection and her thoughts about the future.

Herstoknow Editor, Miko Laube (HTK): We all know you came out on top, but you came out as the one graceful competitor not just on 'Project Runway' but on reality television.

Leanne Marshall (LM): Thanks. (Blushes, giggles.) Yeah I pretty much stayed myself. Of course I said catty things. I was tired and cranky and it was late at night when I did those interviews and I was like oh my God why did I say that? I think we all had those moments! I was me! (Laughes.)

HTK: Many viewers were impressed at how you handled so much fire with such grace. You’ve come across as the good girl on reality television, as opposed to so many bad girls.

LM: Yeah, I got overshadowed in that department on my season by someone else. (Hinting at Kenley.)

HTK: I noticed she (Kenley) was the one finalist that didn’t come to your show last night.

LM: No she didn’t. You know she would have been welcome here but I kind of still feel that she probably has a grudge against me and I hope that’s something she can just let it go because I have.

HTK: It was wonderful that the other finalists and 'Project Runway' alums all showed up.

LM: Yeah, I love Korto and Jarrell and Blayne and Suede. Suede’s been so helpful to me since I’ve been here in the city. We are kind of like a family. We all went through this experience together and we’ve definitely kept in touch.

Suede and Korto were just a few of the Project Runway alums at Marshall’s show.

Marshall’s models stand on blocks at her Fall/Winter 2009 showing in New York.

HTK: For us we go through the experience with you, you’re in our living rooms every week and then you win and the cameras stop rolling . . . so what happened afterwards?

LM: Of course immediately there were tons of interviews, press and appearances, but I went back to Portland and things went pretty much back to normal. I was sewing things for customers and preparing to move to New York City, which we just did and month and a half ago. (At interview time.)

HTK: You said you had existing customers. What’s your design background?

LM: I had gone to FIDM (San Francisco) and gotten a degree in fashion design. I knew that I wanted to be a fashion designer early on but I was a graphic designer after I graduated from fashion design school. It was only after I moved to Portland and after a while of seeing that other designers were able to make it and support themselves doing just design. And then I set that goal for myself and was able to do that.

Marshall’s Fall/Winter 2009 showing in New York was feminine and sophisticated.

Normal for me was I would just sew up a one of a kind dress and wait till I had a batch together and bring it to the boutiques. Mostly everything was one of a kind.

Stores that have been selling Leanne’s gowns include ‘Seaplane’ in Portland, to learn more visit  seaplane.com . 

HTK: So have there been any celebrity customers that have come along since 'Project Runway'?

LM: I did lend a dress to Irene Taylor Brodskey who wrote ‘The Final Inch’ which is nominated for best documentary at the Oscars. She’s wearing the Dianne Von Furstenberg dress that I designed and won that challenge. So she’ll be wearing that to the Oscars. She’s (also) from Portland.

HTK: So you’ve established the Leanne Marshall line now and are creating your own collection but would you ever consider working under another designer, a major designer?

LM: Possibly. I think especially being a new designer it’s a good idea to have a backup plan. A lot of designers design for other houses and have their own line on the side. My line’s pretty time consuming so I don’t know if honestly I could do it. Right now there aren’t enough hours in the day to get everything I need to get done for my line. So personally I don’t think I would be able to take away any time from my line.

HTK: So you became a celebrity, what’s that been like? How has being a celebrity affected you?

LM: Well I don’t feel like a celebrity! I’m just me and sometimes I forget I was on television and then every once in a while someone will come up to me and say “I loved you on the show!” And it’s just so sweet having strangers come up to you and tell you that they love you.  That doesn’t get old. I love it . . . When I look back even a year ago from now I just never could have imagined having experiences like this. It’s pretty remarkable and I savor all of it.

HTK: So do you think that because you are so recognized that helps you as a designer? Even though you see their collections repeatedly, a lot of designers remain faceless. People wearing their clothing wonder what the designer even looks like? People likely already know you.

Trademarks like Leanne’s signature wave are recognizable in this collection.

LM: It’s kind of an additional business card for me, to have this show and have people see me and know what my line looks like and know what I look like. It’s just a great advantage. There are a lot of people interested in my line because they’ve seen me on the show. And so my customer base it’s through the roof compared to how it was when I was in Portland. Nobody knew my line and nobody knew what I looked like. So it’s nice to have people recognize you and know what you do.

HTK: What were some of the inspirations for your current collection?

LM: It was really moving to New York and I took the cityscape and the buildings and that kind of staircase shape, back-layered so many times. I took that structure and implemented it into several of the garments so that you kind of see that city line shape in some skirts and gowns. Also the whole fantasy of moving to New York, like the kind of ideas you have in your head when you think you’re going to be moving to the big city and you want to be really glamorous and sophisticated. It’s a little bit dressier.

Marshall says of this look “it was kind of like creating a
cityscape out of a skirt.”

Pieces like this wool coat are beautifully sculpted and impeccably tailored.

HTK: I saw skirts, I saw dresses, I saw gowns but I didn’t see any pants.

LM: There were some pants. I mean I was working on this collection up until the doors opened (to the show)! I did it all in three weeks. I was gonna have twelve looks and it got cut down just in the last week because I knew I was really going to have to compromise on five looks just to have a certain number. I would rather produce something that’s quality versus quantity.

I wish had worked on this earlier but the move set me back some time and then all of a sudden it was like “Oh my gosh I’m in New York and Fashion Week is coming up and I really need to do something!” And so we threw this event together, got the space and planned the whole thing ourselves and then I was like “Well I need to create a collection.” (Laughs.) . . . It was a killer. I think it was probably more stressful than the show. And so I’m starting on my next collection tomorrow. . . I’m really happy with this collection but I would love to have spent weeks more on it.

A Project Runway model stepped in at the last minute to sport a recognizable look by Marshall.

HTK: I loved the way the models were styled. What was your inspiration for the styling of the hair and the makeup?

LM: I just wanted them to look very romantic and glamorous and then bring in the colors: the gold and the purple.

Marshall says of the striking purple sheath: “it’s more refined there’s not a lot of embellishments and do-dads and noodles or anything. But it’s timeless and a woman could wear that for years and years.”

HTK: Why purple?

LM: It’s my favorite color and Nathan (my boyfriend) was telling me that. I just chose these colors for some reason because it was just something I was just drawn to. But Nathan made a note that I wear purple and black everyday. Like every single day I was wearing black pants and a purple shirt and I didn’t realize it.

HTK: So I noticed the wave theme again in the dress draping.

LM: Yeah, a little bit. I’m all about layering. I love that depth that I can create with fabric. That’s where I have my fun, I create these shapes and then I layer them and twist them. It’s kind of like sculpting. That’s the funnest part of it for me.

HTK: Which was your favorite dress from that collection?

LM: The purple gown I think that’s my favorite. . . . I was thinking that it should be an Oscar dress. I mean if somebody calls me today I’ll Fed Ex it out there and get it on an actress. I think it was around the time I was contacted by the other lady who needed a dress for the Oscars. I just have this fantasy that I would love to be able to dress people for the Oscars. It might be able a little bit late for this year but maybe next year.

Marshall’s purple Oscar inspired gown is her favorite of this season.

Pieces like this gold sheath demonstrate a sophisticated sensibility.

HTK: With respect to the rest of your collection, who is the woman you’re designing for? 

 HTK: What advice would you give women dressing today in this economy?

LM: Chose pieces that you love. It should never be about trend. I don’t think they should be afraid to spend money on something that they really love and that they know that they’re going to wear a lot. And if the dress makes you feel beautiful, you’re not going to be thinking about the economy, you’re going to be wearing this dress and looking amazing. And the last thing you want to think about when you open your closet and figure out what you’re going to wear is that we’re in a recession and you had to buy this horrible Forever 21 wardrobe. I really think you don’t have to have a lot of pieces but pick versatile pieces you can wear. A great jacket is going to be something you can wear everyday and dress it with different items. Chose pieces you’re going to get a lot of usage out of.

HTK: What about you? When you go out and make your public appearances do you always wear Leanne Marshall?

LM: I try to. But I never spend time making clothes for myself. It’s so rare that I have the chance to sit down and sew something for myself. So I’ve got like this jacket and a couple of dresses that I made and I wear them over and over and over again when I know I have to make a public appearance. It’s always the show and the line that comes first. It does occur to me that I am a reflection of that so I need to wear my clothes and I do as much as I can. 

So now that the show’s over I’ll probably be making myself some more clothes. You wont see me in the same green dress that I think I was wearing last night that I wear to all the other appearances. . . . Nathan tells me that designers just wear black t-shirts and jeans. Alright, alright. (Laughs)

HTK: What are your plans for the future?

LM: Sleep! Sleep for a while. And I’m gonna start working on that next collection and get my production going, get the product out there so that people can buy it finally. 

Leanne has designed a separate collection of casual items still available at  bluefly.com . To learn more about Leanne Marshall and to peruse her other collections visit  leanimal.com.

About the Author: Miko Laube began her love affair with fashion as a child, sketching dresses on hotel notepads as she travelled the world with her international and multi-cultural family. While she entertained notions of becoming a pop psychologist at Brown University, upon moving to San Francisco she returned to fashion as a makeup artist and stylist before becoming a writer. While Miko started at HersToKnow as freelance writer, she is now the editor for the site. You can submit a question to Miko through the "Ask The Expert" section or contact her directly at  miko@herstoknow.com.