November 25, 2012
Booted Project Runway Star Launches New Site
Mark Thompson READ TIME: 2 MIN.
NEW YORK, NY - Intent on concluding the Project Runway chapter of his life, designer & fashion philosopher, Andrae Gonzalo is launching The Andrae Conversation, a new, interactive forum and retail experience designed to inspire and empower fashion enthusiasts.
The site will host conversations about men and women's real fashion and design struggles while revealing the relevance that fashion has within our culture.
Playful discussions will result in a series of completely original, one-size-fits all accessories that get people talking in 2 distinct ways.
1. Each accessory will be the result of compelling conversations with Gonzalo's fans.
2. The styles, when worn, will command attention and start conversations.
"Fashion is about more than whether one is 'hip' or 'square', 'in' or 'out'. It reveals social trends and breaks life up into enjoyable, digestible chucks," says Gonzalo.
Andrae Gonzalo's trademark blend of fashion and fine art catapulted him to the national spotlight when participating in Bravo's 2nd season of Project Runway. Gonzalo has diversified his creative projects since the fashion reality series, serving as a member of the creative design faculty at the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising, launching the eveningwear line After Eight for Los Angeles label Single, and costuming for famed post-modern choreographer Rudy Perez.
In response to a current redefining of nerd culture & growing nostalgia for the early 20th century, Gonzalo's first design contribution to The Andrae Conversation will be an ingenious line of Quadri-Loop Bowties.
Andrae gave fans a sneak peek of the bowtie on Lifetime's current season of Project Runway All Stars. The designer, hungry to innovate his work further, added new elements to the accessory. These bowties are completely new to the marketplace because they:
� are made with colorful, durable grosgrain ribbon.
� contain 4 symmetrical loops (instead of 2)
� are modular, can be mixed & matched with other Quadri-Loop bowties.
Andrae Gonzalo won a 2010 National Theatre Award for his contribution to LACHSA's production of Cats, has had his fashion illustrations published, provided on-camera fashion commentary for the Style Network & Mylifetime.com & was even commissioned by the Hollywood Standard Hotel to create a visual art installation for their lobby.
Since fashion can also make a statement, there is already a series of sleek, politically minded accessories ready to be launched for the upcoming presidential inauguration.
Gonzalo studied theatre & performance at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts and holds a Bachelor's Degree in Fashion Design from Otis College of Art & Design.
For more, visit www.andraegonzalo.com
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A long-term New Yorker and a member of New York Travel Writers Association, Mark Thompson has also lived in San Francisco, Boston, Provincetown, D.C., Miami Beach and the south of France. The author of the novels WOLFCHILD and MY HAWAIIAN PENTHOUSE, he has a PhD in American Studies and is the recipient of fellowships at MacDowell, Yaddo, and Blue Mountain Center. His work has appeared in numerous publications.
