Down and Out in Denver

Emilio Sosa

Growing up, and for many years thereafter, I have been told that people who exhibited arrogance were clearly just trying to compensate for a feeling of inferiority or for a lack of self-esteem.  In the case of Emilio Sosa, I’m not so sure.  I finally was able to watch the season finale of Project Runway, as well as the reunion show that took over the Models of the Runway slot.  And of the whole hour and half I was most struck by Emilio’s incredible ego and by his incredulity at his loss to Seth Aaron.  He just didn’t seem to get that someone was judged to be better than he.

It was these two shows that convinced me — as if I hadn’t already realized this — that I care just as much about the personality of the designers as I do about the clothes.  In this respect, Emilio and Mila were always low on my list to support.  All in all, I may have liked Emilio’s clothing the best.  Seth Aaron’s still looked overworked, if perfectly fitted. I actually found Mila’s collection much more appealing than was the sum total of what she had produced on the season thus far.  But all in all, not as impressive as Emilio or Seth Aaron.

But what most impressed me about the whole fiasco was Emilio’s arrogance.  And this after a season of cockiness: refusing to listen to Tim’s advice; constantly boasting that he was the one to beat; crowing when he won consecutive challenges.  He seemed shocked that Seth Aaron had won.  Not disappointed, as would be warranted, but stunned.  He then committed his greatest error.  He said, “In the words of our wisest competitor this season, Anthony Williams, you don’t have to win the crown to be the king.”  Loyal watchers will know that this was decidedly not what Anthony said. Because Anthony is a camp goddess he was not only trying to make light of his elimination but also to poke fun at his own flamboyance and the fact that he would, like a good queen, carry on no matter what. Emilio, in exchanging queen for king, was not only erasing half of Anthony’s meaning, but also trading in the sentiment to say that he not only would be, but also already was the best, no matter what the judges said.  First of all, this is remarkably cocky (and he continued by talking about the “worldwide” esosa brand he was going to be establishing).  Second, the degaying of the remark is a little offensive.  Is Emilio Sosa gay?  I have no idea.  (I do know that asking that question is going to result in ten hits per day. Update: He’s gay.  Check out the comments below.)  Is he an unmarried male fashion designer?  Indeed he is.  So either he’s gay and a little self-loathing and hung up on his masculinity, or he’s a mildly homophobic straight guy.  In either case he paid homage to Anthony and then stripped him of his gayness, which is pretty difficult to do with Anthony.

His behavior on the reunion show only confirmed his arrogance.  While he was willing to “accept” Nina’s explanation for Seth Aaron’s victory (that Emilio had created a line and not a collection), that he had to question her in the first place just demonstrated how much he didn’t get it: no matter how much they liked you, Emilio, they liked Seth Aaron better.  Simple as that.