Jay McCarroll | |
|---|---|
 McCarroll on the set of "Mare of Easttown", February, 2020 | |
| Born | (1974-10-11)October 11, 1974 (age 51) |
| Education | Philadelphia University London College of Fashion |
| Occupation | fashion designer |
| Television | Project RunwaySeason 1 (Winner) |
Jay McCarroll (born October 11, 1974) is afashion designer who gained fame after winning the debut season of the competitivereality showProject Runway in 2005.
McCarroll listsAlexander McQueen as his favorite designer. He originally hailed from theBack Mountain, Pennsylvania, area before moving toLondon to study at theLondon College of Fashion. He lived in London selling clothes inCamden Market after he graduated,[1] and he sold clothing inAmsterdam before moving back to the U.S.
Like the show's other participants, McCarroll was struggling to get recognition as a fashion designer before the show began airing on December 1, 2004, on theBravocable television network. When McCarroll won the show's first season, becoming the only winner so far to never win a challenge, he was awarded $100,000, a mentorship fromBanana Republic, and a spot in the prestigious 2005New York Fashion Week event. However, Jay turned down the money and the mentorship,[2] citing a contractual clause stipulating that the Project Runway production company would own a 10% stake of all his professional ventures in perpetuity. The company has since dropped this clause.[3][4]
In April 2008 McCarroll launched his blog and designer fashion boutique, The Colony by Jay McCarroll.[5]
After leaving New York, McCarroll now teaches atPhiladelphia University and has a fashion line on QVC.[6]
McCarroll is a designer for Field of View winter guard inWest Chester, Pennsylvania.[7]
McCarroll has appeared numerous times on thePBS TV showQuilting Arts.[8]
In an episode aired on 5 April 2010, McCarroll won the seventh season ofCelebrity Fit Club onVH1, having lost 40 pounds over the course of his time on the program.
In February 2020 McCarroll was employed in the wardrobe department of the television seriesMare of Easttown, coordinating clothing for background extras.
Since winningProject Runway, McCarroll has been interviewed by various media outlets, such asThe Village Voice. He spends part of his time living inNew York, working on his new projects and trying to strengthen his position as a designer. He helped pick contestants for the second season ofProject Runway, and filmed a one-hour documentary,Project Jay, which focused on his attempts to establish himself after his win. The special first aired February 22, 2006, on Bravo.
McCarroll returned to Fashion Week on September 15, 2006, debuting his new collection,Transport, with a show under the prestigious tents. He explained, "My new collection will take the fashion consumer to a higher plane of consciousness and encourage people to see fashion from a different perspective."
His collection was sponsored by theHumane Society of the United States, reflecting hisanti-fur stance. He also mentioned that this was his first showing since the first-season finale ofProject Runway. He changed the theme of his collection, which was initially inspired by thePet Shop Boys' 1986 hit "West End Girls." The collection featured more of a futuristic theme and had both men's and women's looks.[9]
The entire process of his designing, building, showing and attempts at selling hisTransport line was documented in a feature film calledEleven Minutes, which debuted at the Philadelphia Film Festival on April 5, 2008.
| Preceded by First season | Project Runway winner Jay McCarroll | Succeeded by |
| International | |
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| National | |
