Project Runway alumnus Chris March will be at Macy's Glamorama designing its opening segment. Windy City Times talked to him about the new season and his own current projects.
Chris March: Hi! It's Chris March.
Windy City Times: Hi, Chris. Let's talk about Macy's Glamorama. How did you get involve with them?
Chris March: I did Glamorama about five years ago with Marshall Field's. I had this idea so I called this guy up that I knew there and told him about it. He said it works great with what they are doing here. It's a really great opening segment.
WCT: Do you have people walking the runway with your fashions?
Chris March: Not really a runway thing. It's kind of a theatrical fantasy opening.
WCT: Nice. I look forward to seeing that.
Chris March: And they're very very large.
WCT: Are you still designing for musicals?
Chris March: I'm doing lots of different things. I'm doing my own TV show. The television show is based on my life and my workshop. I'm working on a theater show here in New York that is in development. I have a book that's kind of an ongoing process. I am still doing jobs here and there for different companies and things for Meryl Streep.
WCT: Since you mentioned it, how did it go working with Meryl Streep?
Chris March: Oh, it was great. She's a very neat person and she was fun to work with and she looked wonderful. I was just very happy to work with her.
WCT: The dress was amazing. Were you nervous to work with her?
Chris March: No. I was really nervous up until the moment I met her. She really put me at ease. She's so sweet. She was like, "I'm so excited to meet you!" And I was like, "You're excited to meet me? You're Meryl Streep." She's really the most down to earth person you can imagine.
WCT: Are you a Mad Men fan?
Chris March: Oh, I'm a huge Mad Men fan, and I'm actually one of the judges for the costume contest for the premiere here in Times Square on Sunday night. The last couple of years they've done the premiere on the Jumbotron here in Times Square and they have a '60s costume contest.
WCT: That's so fun.
Chris March: Yes, it's really fun.
WCT: What happened with the Beyonce horrible experience? [ Editor's note: March is suing fashion designer Thierry Mugler for allegedly not paying him for work March did on Beyonce's costumes for one of her tours. ]
Chris March: I can't really talk much about it. It's not resolved. I can say as much as that.
WCT: It's a long process.
Chris March: Yeah.
WCT: I just got to talk to Tim Gunn last week, and he was amazing.
Chris March: He so cool. I like him.
WCT: I think he was the most polite person I have ever talked to.
Chris March: He has old-school manners. He really walks in there and let's you know what looks great and what doesn't and walks out.
WCT: That's good to know.
Chris March: He used to really cut loose on those podcasts that he used to do.
WCT: The new Project Runway [ has started ] . Are you going to watch it?
Chris March: Probably. I'm in the middle of finishing up the Macy's stuff before I pack it all up tomorrow so I'm last-minute right now. It's 90 minutes now, you know?
WCT: Yes, it's long.
Chris March: I would think especially at the beginning that the 90 minutes would be helpful because you really don't get to know too much about 15 people. So the hour and a half might be useful in the first few episodes, especially.
WCT: Well, we shall see how it works. I look forward to seeing you work it at Glamorama.
Watch Chris, Macy Gray and more special guests at Macy's Glamorama 2010 Friday, Aug. 13, at the Chicago Theatre, 175 N. State, at 8 p.m. Visit www.Macys.com for ticket information.