Egomilio Sosa
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.
I recant my earlier ignorance. Apparently Sosa is, in fact, gay. Here’s an interview with Next Magazine (a NYC gay bar rag):
http://www.nextmagazine.com/nexus/online-exclusive-project-runways-new-york-designer-unzips-nexus
I liked Emilio’s least. I did not care for the colors, and I thought the designs were pretty derivative. So, in my case personality and taste combined to give even greater pleasure at his loss.
I’d place Mila in second place, mainly on the strength of two garments: the paillette dress with the leather collar top; and the mohair sweater with a short shiny patent skirt.
And I’d place Seth-Aaron first: I think he truly deserved to win. His clothes were good, and I like him as a person. Yes, his fauxhawk and eighties outfit on the runway was hard to look at, but he actually comes across as a sweet guy, self-deprecating as well as talented.
And finally: HUZZAH for your parsing of Emilio’s desecration of Anthony’s sweet, loveable comment. It was a truly obnoxious moment.
I actually didn’t mind Emilio’s colors, though I didn’t love the esosa print. I guess I thought Emilio’s was most immediately wearable but that’s not necessarily the point. And I definitely don’t work in fashion for a living, regardless. I am delighted, however, to hear that not only did you like him least, you also liked his clothing least. It must have been a particularly sweet moment for you.
I also agree with you about Seth Aaron. I came to like him in the end. Somehow the fact that he was only 38 and had two teenagers and seemed stuck in the 80s (in terms of his own fashion) ended up making him totally endearing after a while.
[...] the possibility of Emilio Sosa’s gayness has resulted in a number of hits every day since I posted on his PR win.) Stone and SVU co-star Mariska Hargitay on [...]
[...] interviews. She’s starting to remind me a little bit of last season’s Egomilio Sosa. In short, she needs to get a grip. She may be good but she will soon become Enemy #1 if she [...]
Oh my God, never read such rubbish in my life.
The idea that self deprecation is the way forward in fashion is puzzling to me. Christian Soriano always boasted during his season on Project Runway about how much better he was too, did that make him a bad designer, no.
The whole king and queen thing is picking at straws at best. Emilio gave himself a pat on the back after becoming second place, what should he have done, cry and called himself worthless?
He wasn’t arrogant, he was confident. He didn’t listen to counsel from Tim but went with his convictions which obviously paid off, so what’s your problem?
If you don’t like the guy fine, you don’t like him. Personally I don’t care much for his designs but this is based on my opinion of his work not from picking at ridiculous over analysis of his mannerisms.
Hi Lillian. I guess we’re just going to have to agree to disagree. I dislike arrogance, which is clearly what Sosa displayed on the show. (Arrogance, by the way, is not a “mannerism,” it’s a character trait.) The very premise of the show — of all reality shows — is that we get to know the characters as well as their talents. So evaluating whether I like the guy is fair game. I also didn’t say that self-deprecation was a way forward. But there’s a big difference between humility and self-deprecation. A little of the former is quite compatible with success.
As for the king/queen thing, I ask you this: if it didn’t matter, why did he change it?
I agree with Lillian. Emilio was the smartest. The only one to get the ideas that every challenge brought up.
His clothes showed this talent, taste and intelligence.
I found also that he had a, lets say, visible ego, but how do you think Galliano, Lagerfeld, McQueen and so weiter took the place they have (or had RIP McQueen) right now ? Being humble ? Let me smile.
The man is an artist, don’t ask him to act as a neighborhood tailor. Come on.
Then in some sense we agree as well. I liked his clothes the best, too. I just also happened to think he was a self-aggrandizing, egomaniacal jackass. That’s all.
Because he is a clever guy…..and he was moost convincing …what’s wrong with a little arrogance….and don’t you have any flaws…..this show was about fashion and creativty and not about how is americas sweetheart. perhaps it is because i’m dutch, but i dont get the whole discussion. what has gay and and ego to do with this
The gay issue: because he brought it up by changing the substance of what Anthony had said from “queen” to “king.” Otherwise, I agree, it’s irrelevant.
The ego issue: reality television is, pretty much by definition, a popularity contest as well as a talent competition. That’s why more than just their outfits are being filmed, why we get to know the contestants and not just their clothes, see them at home and work, etc. The producers expect we will form opinions about more than just the fashion as a result of this. I think it’s possible to be talented and to win without being an egomaniac. And I prefer it. Simple as that.
It occurs to me that we may be talking at cross purposes here, Lillian. I agree with you that in the end it’s about the clothes. If he succeeds, it’ll be because of them. But reality television ISN’T just about the clothes; that’s why this competition is on television, after all. I’m certainly not saying that it matters to him or to the judges whether I dislike him; I am saying I dislike him. And that evaluating a reality TV contestant on that basis is perfectly legitimate.
[...] Gretchen has demonstrated all three in spades. We think this is nasty in a man, too, and we posted about it regarding last season’s resident egomaniac, Emilio Sosa. What to [...]