If it can be said that the five young gay men who brought culture, style, grooming and epicure to a new generation of hapless straight men as "The Fab Five" on Bravo's Queer Eye For the Straight Guy became famous themselves largely as a result of the pop-culture phenomenon, it is equally true to say that fashion guru Carson Kressley started out with a distinct advantage. He already had all the necessary ingredients for future success.
A budding fashion stylist for Polo Ralph Lauren when the bright lights of fame beckoned, Kressley took up the gauntlet and quickly established himself as a driving force in what was to become one of the most famous makeover teams in the short but constantly evolving history of Reality TV.
An acknowledged equestrian, the outspoken but good-natured Kressley became a fan favorite on Queer Eye as he miraculously transformed one fashion-lacking straight man after the other, always starting out with a unacceptably attired hetero guy with little fashion savvy, and ending up with a more sophisticated, fashionable gentleman sporting both a new look and renewed self-confidence.
Basically, Kressley made fashion sense for straight men an attainable goal. Like his Queer Eye colleagues-in-crime, Kressley became teacher, coach and, ultimately mentor; often returning to the scene of a previous fashion disaster to see if the formerly clueless client had maintained his empowering new look. With his characteristically flamboyant flourishes and witty commentary, Kressley took the serious business of dressing well and made it into a rewarding journey of personal discovery for the receptive clients assigned to him and his Queer Eye colleagues.
A native of Claussville, Penn., in the Lehigh Valley, Kressley has realized a varied career in TV, having acted as a celebrity judge, host and panelist, including his stint as a judge in the Miss Universe pageant in 2005 and a commentator in the Miss Universe and Miss USA pageants in 2006.
The author of Off the Cuff: The Essential Style Guide for Men and the Women Who Love Them and You're Different and That's Super (a children's story derived from the classic tale, "The Ugly Duckling"), and co-author (with the other four Queer Eye Guys) of Queer Eye for the Straight Guy: The Fab Five's Guide to Looking Better, Cooking Better, Dressing Better, Behaving Better and Living Better, Kressley moved into the realm of fashion design in 2006 with the debut of Perfect, his own clothing line for men and women, which is showcased and sold on the QVC Network.
I caught up with Kressley recently to chat about all things Queer Eye as he reflected on four years with the series, and looked to the future now that the series has officially wrapped.
David Guarino: Carson, we are all looking forward to seeing the final season of Queer Eye this fall. What will you miss the most about doing this show with your four Queer Eye colleagues?
Carson Kressley: Well, first and foremost, I am really missing working with our amazing cast and crew! The other Fab Fivers and I shared this really super-awesome experience for four years, and that is something really unique to have shared. And don't get me started on our crew — just the most professional, talented and fun working environment you could imagine. It was the best job in the world, I got to go shopping every day with somebody else's credit card!
Of course, I cannot leave out the straight guys we worked with. Some of them may have started out a little homophobic, but they all accepted us and respected us for our talents and the help we were giving them. This may sound crazy, but I may have been a little heterophobic when we started taping, you know, after all those bad high school years of jocks hanging me on my locker, and that all disappeared, and my own confidence blossomed as well. That was a real gift, too.
Of the five Queer Eyes, which of the guys, in your opinion, had the hardest time adjusting to the sudden fame and notoriety?
Well, I might have had the least, since I have always felt famous, it's just that nobody knew who I was! Just kidding! I think we all dealt with it pretty well, actually. It really is something to be somewhat of an overnight sensation. One day, you're working at Ralph Lauren, and the next (almost literally) you're on Oprah! I think we all just took it in stride, none of us really expecting it or craving it, and just enjoyed the ride.
Are all five of you really good friends in real life, or is your relationship primarily business?
Work and travel now keep us apart sometimes, but we are all still very close. I can honestly say I love and respect each of the guys very much. As the old greeting card goes, "God made us gay, reality TV made us sisters."
Did it ever feel overwhelming to be out in such a public and dramatic way? Did you ever feel more vulnerable or even at risk because of all of the media attention the show received?
When you are on TV as an openly gay person, just being yourself and not playing a character, you really are out to just about everyone on the planet — or at least those with cable or subscriptions to US Weekly. But it really was a gift, and that is the empowering thing about being out and proud. You don't have to explain yourself to anyone. And they can either love you for who you are or not. Fortunately, a lot of people chose to love us. And the cherry on top of the sundae is that our show allowed people to have a non-threatening dialogue about gay people. And that, in turn, may have made it easier for someone to come out.
What are the most exciting things that happened to you since you became the Queer Eye fashion guru?
Meeting Cher and Dolly are certainly at the top of the list, but also, on a more serious note, being a positive role model for gay youth has probably been the most rewarding. I have started a scholarship in my hometown for gay kids, worked with the Trevor Project and Long Island Gay and Lesbian Youth [LIGALY].
What is the single-most common fashion faux pas that men make, gay or straight?
Not being themselves and expressing who they really are through fashion, and enjoying it!
Were you ever frustrated by the fact that your talents on the show were always directed at the straight population? It seems to me that there are plenty of gay men who could use your fashion expertise.
Oh yes, bad taste does not discriminate. It knows no race, no creed, and no gender. But our show was like a scholarship. We had to start where it was needed most.