Carson Kressley makes over America (with a little help from Oprah)

From the first episode of Bravo's "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy," Carson Kressley made us laugh with his quick wit and flamboyant flair for snapping even the dowdiest person into shape. From that international hit, Carson has appeared just about everywhere including Lifetime's "How To Look Good Naked" and being a judge/host on ABC's "True Beauty" and multiple appearances on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" as a stylist.

When Oprah started OWN (Oprah Winfrey Network) earlier this year, it made perfect sense that Kressley would be a part of the programming and with "Carson Nation," he's taken it upon himself to travel to the smallest of small towns to help the fashion-challenged make the most of their lives and, unexpectedly in the process, shed a tear or two.

As the first season of Carson Kressley's OWN series, "Carson Nation," races towards its season finale on August 14th, EDGE's Jim Halterman jumped on the phone with the always chatty and hilarious Kressley to talk about the show, the connection between emotions and fashion, where his hot guy assistant is, and whether Oprah still makes him nervous.

Needed tissues

EDGE: I didn't know I was going to need a box of tissues watching your show, Carson!

Carson Kressley: I didn't know I was going to need a box of tissues making it, but I think that's what is kind of cool about it and sets it apart from other makeover shows. It's not just a quick little superficial, 'here's a new dress, new hair, see ya...' We're really telling stories of people who are quite inspiring and who have gone through some difficult times. We talk to people who have disease and kids with cancer, but we're also working with a 45-year old virgin who was very fun. I'm pretty sure he's not a virgin anymore! I think we got him some game. Some of them are tearjerkers but some of them are really funny just like real life.

EDGE: Is there a direct tie to people's emotional baggage and their fashion sense in terms of how they present themselves to the world?

Carson Kressley: I think so. I think it's not so much about changing the shoes and changing the clothes. It's more about changing your attitude about yourself and taking the time and going through the process of saying you are worth something and you deserve to take care of yourself. There's nothing wrong with being concerned about your appearance and being proud of yourself. Certainly, if someone grew up gay in a small town in Pennsylvania, I know what it's like to not always be proud of the way you are and if I can help people across the country in these little towns that maybe aren't living up to their potential to feel better about themselves, then I'm doing what I was put on the earth to do, I think.

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Watch this interview with Carson Kressley on "The Gayle King Show:"

Carson goes to Beaver

EDGE: What are some of the challenges of going to these small towns when they might not have the highest amounts of fashion handy?

Carson Kressley: That's a challenge that people perceive and I really want to be a bitch-buster on that one. That's why every week they throw a dart on the map of the United States and basically we go to wherever that dart lands and some of them are really small towns. We went to Beaver, Utah. I've never been to Beaver literally and figuratively! A lot of people in a small town will think 'I don't have access to nice clothes or good hair care,' but nowadays there are ways around that. The most important thing is to be inspired and then when we go to these small little towns I'll work with the local salons and say 'This is how you do great hair' and I'll work with the local stores, too. And then after your makeover it has a ripple effect because you're not just working with individuals but you're working with the entire town and different instances. Everybody wins.

EDGE: You come from a small town - as do I being from Indiana - but did your experience filming the show change your own perception of small towns?

Carson Kressley: Yeah, I was very, very surprised. There was one place - Midland, Texas - and people are very, very rugged there. On the show, there are a lot of moments where I'm just running around the town and meeting the locals. It's just a classic fish out of water and it's just fun. In Midland, we didn't really have a store or place to do that so we found a place called the Cowboy Caf�. My producers said 'Do you think that's okay?' I said 'Yeah, we'll meet some locals and it will be great.'

Then we pulled into the parking lot and it was a parking lot full of pick-up trucks with gun racks and 'Obama Go Home' bumper stickers. We all collectively said 'Oh, shit! I'm going to get my ass kicked here.' I walked in and said 'Good Morning, Midland!' and there was silence. So I went around and broke the silence, started accessorizing people. I did on-the-spot makeovers and even the oil-rigger people were just happy and having a great time. I think most of America is a lot more accepting and cool and open-minded than you think so I was pleasantly surprised that I did not get my ass kicked. Plus, people love free shoes!

EDGE: That's a great way to win them over, right?

Carson Kressley: Yes!

’There’s that queer guy!’

EDGE: Over the years, Carson, your personality has been so infectious but were you always this way or was it something you had to cultivate over time?

Carson Kressley: Oh, I did that with margaritas. [laughs] I wasn't always as out-going and confident and personable. I have a great rapport with people and I'm not afraid to talk to anybody but I wasn't always like that and I was painfully shy as a kid. I got picked on a lot in school and I was bullied but somewhere in Junior High, just when I was about to turn to home schooling or something worse, I decided to use my sense of humor to disarm people. That became a blessing in disguise because I learned how to entertain people.

Even though I didn't start out in the entertainment business working with Ralph Lauren and the fashion world it ultimately led me to my job on "Queer Eye," which was a fantastic opportunity for me. What "National Velvet" was for Elizabeth Taylor, "Queer Eye" was for me and I love that analogy! It used to be I'd be walking around the mall and hear, 'Ew, there's that queer guy' and then after Queer Eye it was [cheerfully] 'There's that queer guy!!'

EDGE: Your assistant on Carson Nation, Ashley, is so cute; but why no hot guy working alongside you?

Carson Kressley: Oh, I would never get any work done! I would constantly be shushing him! Ashley is precious and gorgeous and beautiful inside and out. I adore her! She was my assistant on "How To Look Good Naked" and would help me dress all the women.

EDGE: You're on Oprah's network and also worked on her show the last few years but does that Oprah WOW-factor ever go away?

Carson Kressley: You know, I've been fortunate to have worked with her as a stylist on her show and she's always so relaxed and genuine and natural and real and authentic that from the very first time I kind of stopped thinking she was "Oprah, the powerhouse." She's always just been Oprah to me.

Of course, those first couple of shows I was like 'I can't believe I'm sitting next to Oprah.' Now, I wouldn't say we're friends because we don't hang out when we're not working but it's a very comfortable relationship. When she was starting up OWN she said she wanted it to be very worthwhile TV and not waste anyone's time. My show is entertaining but it has real heart and real intention to help people live a better life so it's kind of a perfect fit. I'm just waiting for her to invite me to Montecito!

"Carson Nation" airs Sundays at 9/8c. The season finale airs Sunday, August 14th.

Watch this feature about "Carson Nation":