‘Runway’ Hottie JACK MACKENROTH Talks Fashion, ‘Sex,’ What He Likes in the Sack & More
‘Project Runway’ uberhottie Jack Mackenroth talks Christian Siriano, Sarah Jessica Parker, ‘Sex and the City’ behind-the-scenes gossip, what he likes in the sack and what he’s been up to since the show. Big thanks to Mikey for making this happen:
M: Jack, thanks so much for taking the time to chat with me! We first saw that handsome face on Bravo’s ‘Project Runway.’ Was fashion always where you thought your career would take you?
J: Hell no! I was pre-med at UC Berkeley for 2 years until I finally came to my senses. If I would have continued on that path I could be redoing Janice Dickinson‘s face at this very moment. It was only after I got accepted to Parsons School of Design that I really realized I would be a fashion designer.
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M: You left Project Runway way too soon! What are some of your favorite memories of the experience?
J: Oh–thank you! Well I loved the moment my very first dress came out onto the runway. I’d been a huge fan of the show before my season, so that was very surreal. Plus I thought it turned out fabulously. I GAGGED when I met Sarah Jessica Parker since I was the first one to meet with her. I was holding in all of my bodily functions at once because I was so nervous.
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M: What was your favorite thing about doing “Project Runway”?
J: My absolute favorite thing about the show were all the other designers. I loved carrying Christian around the workroom. I love Kit, Kevin, Sweet P and so many others. They are all superstars.
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M: Many people thought you would make it to the end of Project Runway. Were you pleased with the outcome?
J: Yes and no. I thought I had a good chance to make it to the finale as well, so when I had to leave early I was bawling my eyes out for about 4 hours. So in that moment I was clearly not pleased. However there is something to be said for making a grand exit. People sympathized with me and they remember me, which has helped me post-reality. Plus I won a challenge and I was never in the bottom 3 so that rocked.
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M: We saw you all over the fashion tents this past year. Who are some of your favorite designers?
J: Yeah–I was covering fashion week for LOGO, and in September I will be covering the shows for Fashion News Live. I was a hot mess. It sounds really glamorous but it’s really difficult. All the designers are freaking out right before the shows and afterward they are so happy to be done they want nothing to do with you. All the shows run late and they all overlap with each other. I think I lost 20 pounds. Good times.
My favorite designers aesthetically are Diane Von Furstenberg, Carolina Hererra and all the classic designers like Valentino and Badgley Mischka.
I have never met most of them (which will hopefully change next season) so I can’t say what they are like in person. But my favorite interview so far was Rebecca Taylor. She was hilarious. So many designers take themselves too seriously. Please, lady! It’s only fashion. John Bartlett is a dream to interview as well.
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M: What city do you call home now?
J: I live in Harlem in a big ass apartment. (for my big ass)
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M: And I am sure you have turned many a head there also! What do you find most attractive in a guy?
J: Well I’m not gonna lie and pretend I don’t like a muscular guy. I’m sorry but hot is hot. Beyond that I like my men aggressive and a little rough. Tattoos or a shaved head make me weak. If I could find that look on a man with a decent job, 2 homes and a motorcycle, I would marry him in a heartbeat.
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M: Describe your ideal date…
J: Going out to an ’80s band concert like Depeche Mode and then ordering crappy Chinese take-out and rolling around in bed.
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M: Favorite personal vice?
J: TV. Thanks to DVRs I can watch about 6 hours of TV in 3 hours time. I have the TV mentality of a 8th grade girl. I love ‘American Idol’ and all those mindless shows.
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M: Least favorite personal vice?
J: I’m addicted to carbs. The subway stop by my house is right next to a Dunkin Donuts. It’s a struggle to walk past it every day without going in. I’m like a crack whore.
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M: Complete the sentence: ‘When in bed, the guy should…’
J: Shut up.
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M: Some may now know it, but you were the “cute guy” walking down the street that stopped Samantha Jones in her tracks in the ‘Sex and the City’ movie. Ok, you MUST have a little dish on the movie How were the ladies “behind the scenes”?
J: Well at that time the other 3 girls were not speaking to Kim Cattrall. She had a separate make-up trailer and everything. When they blocked out the scene, SJP, Kristin and Cynthia would do it together and then leave the set. Then Kim would come on and walk through her blocking. Then they would start the scene all together and act like everything was normal as soon as the director said, “action”. The second he yelled, “cut” they would walk away without speaking. It was weird. I think they have reconciled since then. Sarah barely calls me anymore. Strange.
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M: What celebrity would you kill to work with?
J: Hmmmm. Linda Evangelista. She is quintessential fierceness. And Mariah because she is a hot pocket and she needs my help.
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M: What’s next for Jack Mackenroth?
J: Well until Linda calls me I am working on a design TV show with Kevin Christiana from my season of ‘Project Runway.’ We are already with a network and I am actually out in L.A. shooting the pilot. So hopefully it gets picked up.
One of the most exciting things I’ve been a part of is the Living Positive By Design HIV education campaign and partnership with Merck. I hope to fight the stigma of HIV by increasing visibility and speaking openly about living with HIV for almost 20 years. I’ve been touring all over the country with the program for the last year. Our next stop is D.C. some time this summer.
I also just signed on as the east coast correspondent for Fashion News Live, so I will be covering all things fashion in New York, including fashion week as I mentioned. And my latest project is co-hosting the Internet radio show POZ I AM every Wednesday at 2 pm EST. Listeners can log on and hear the live stream. We just interviewed diminutive drag diva Ongina from ‘Rupaul’s Drag Race.’ It’s a great show and source of information for the HIV community.
And in my spare time I blog about random stuff I am doing or cool artists and stuff I find online. Did I mention I am training for the Outgames in swimming? They will be in Copenhagen in July. Yeah, my life is a swirl–but in a good way.
Jack Mackenroth 