BPR Interview with Valerie Mayen - Continued

LK: You really have made the season fun for the viewers.

VM: Thank you. It really was fun, despite the stress. It was a big risk to go on the show but I am really happy that I did. There was a very big payoff.

LK: Who were your best friends on the show?

VM: Ivy, April, Mondo, Casanova, Christopher, Michael Drummond, even Gretchen.

LK: Have you received any new opportunities as a result of your appearance on Project Runway?


VM: Yes, I'm working with the Downtown Cleveland Alliance. It's great to have local support. [DCA is planning a new campaign that will feature a 20-by-60-foot banner of Valerie that will be placed on a factory district building where her 2,000-square-foot studio is located.]

I am also starting up a sewing co-op for emerging designers called Buzz and Growl.

[Click here to vote to fund Valerie's project. You can vote every day.]

Right now I have 25 interns working for me and 15 more are in the wings. There are lots of designers in Cleveland and we need to provide a place for them to sew and to work.

LK: How was it to see your mom?

VM: This was the first time I was able to spend my birthday with my mom in ten years!

LK: What is the significance of the letters and numbers that we saw on your outfits?

VM: Those were shout-outs to friends, or messages. Of course the YC was for Yellowcake, the DB was David Bowie, 216 was for Cleveland, ELB was for the three children of a friend...

LK: Why is your line called Yellowcake?

VM: Yellow cake is the underdog. Everyone wants chocolate, but yellow cake is the classic dessert, it's always the right choice. Sweet and classic just like my designs. Five percent of my profits go to a charity called The Reckoning. I'm also traveling to to Western Kenya in February to help set a sewing clinic.


LK: What do you take away from your experience on the show?

VM: I was very happy with the way that I was portrayed. I got to show at Fashion Week!

LK: What advice would you give to future contestants?

VM: If you don't make it the first time, keep trying. It's a tough gig, but it's worth it. Never stop learning and don't discount someone because of their age. There are things I learned from April, even though she is young, and from Mondo, actually I learned from everyone.

LK: We are almost out of time, is there anything else you would like to say to your fans?

VM: I'd like to say thank you and I hope they will continue to follow my story. I's also like to challenge them to use their talents to benefit others. You can clothe someone or feed someone or educate someone with the work of your hands.

LK: Thank you Valerie!

VM: Thank you Laura.

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