BM: Hi Laura, how are you?
BPR: Our readers strongly disagree with your elimination.
BM: I have been reading the comments. I know that your readers might be surprised to see us pop up in the comments, but we are interested in what you are saying. Thank you for your kind comments.
BPR: How long did you stay in London?
BM: It was actually very nice. We were there for about two-and-a-half or three days. We had a full day off, we went to lunch and sight-seeing and shopping. It was a really nice reward.
BPR: Did you watch the episode?
BM: Yes. We had a viewing on Thursday night at the Gotham West apartments. There were some All-Stars there, some friends, some of the residents came down. It was hard to watch because I knew it was my week to go, but it was very fun.
BPR: Is there anything that happened during the episode that we did not see and you wish we had?
BM: Well the editing is always interesting. There is a lot to fit into a one-hour show. I think it was pretty accurate. The biggest thing I know was the whole fabric saga. Sonjia and I both liked the same fabric and so I was torn between sticking with what I wanted or going with something different. I think you pretty much got to see everything.
BPR: If you could go back, is there anything that you would do differently?
BM: Well, in hindsight I think I was too much of a gentleman. The original fabric inspired me and I might have chosen it anyway. I should have said, "This is a competition."
BPR: When did you live in London and what did you do there?
BM: I lived in London for about 10 years, I was about 24 or 25 when I moved there. I had a wonderful time. I actually worked at some of the fabric stores in Soho that we visited. I also worked for Marchesa when they were in their start-up phase and I worked for a luxury menswear line. This was some of the best experience that I had in the industry. We showed in Paris twice a year. I also went on tour with Cliff Richard, who is like the Elvis Presley of the UK. I did all of the costumes for one of his tours. I had a great time.
BPR: So, you knew Georgina Chapman?
BM: I met Georgina and her business partner, Karen, in London, in one of the fabric stores where I worked. I was kind of mesmerized by them and we began to talk. I let them know that I was available to help and that's how it all began.
BPR: Who is your best friend from the cast?
BM: It is interesting. Going in I felt closest to those from my own season, but I actually became very close with Helen Castillo. I am having coffee with her later today.
BPR: Which was your favorite challenge?
BM: I was very happy with everything I produced on the show. I really liked the Wicked challenge, and I really liked the gold dress that I made for the relationship challenge. It was very hard to do that challenge because it forced you to think about things from the past. Most of the time I am just focused on the work.
BPR: When you first arrived and met the cast, who did you believe would be your biggest competition?
BM: Well, I remember day one when we had a producer's meeting and I looked around and thought that, in terms of being a fashion designer, everyone was on a pretty level playing field. In terms of popularity, it was hard to say.
BPR: After your elimination, how did you spend the rest of your time?
BM: Well I think everyone knows by now that we remain in New York in seclusion. I started working on my Spring collection and I had to find a place to live so I was looking at apartments. It worked out pretty well because I literally had to move on the day we were finished with production.
BPR: I have a reader question from Patrick: Please tell us about your amfAR shirt and the inspiration behind your design.
BM: The t-shirt came about because I produce a rather high-end collection, they are not inexpensive and I wanted to created something more accessible. I had my inspiration board for the collection and I created a slightly whimsical image incorporating the crystals and then the shape sort of encapsulating the crystal and the birds flying.
Then I thought I could do something more than just a t-shirt, I wanted to do something philanthropic with the design so I contacted amfAR. While this is not an "official" partnership, they were happy with my design and they support me. I intend to continue this with each collection.
BPR: What are you working on now?
BM: I am working on my new collection and I am also designing a small capsule collection of dresses that will be sort of an off-shoot from the main line, but aimed at a slightly different market.
Another thing that I am working on is a collaboration with Members Only. They have, of course, the iconic jacket. So, we are working on a women's jacket design scheduled to launch in 2015. Please stay tuned.
BPR: Ben, we are almost out of time, is there anything else you would like to say to your fans?
BM: Yes, I want to thank my fans and I appreciate all of your comments. I hope that you will continue to post intelligent comments. You don't have to like everything, but please be dignified and support your opinions with reasoning. [BPRs pretty much already do this!]
The last thing I want to say is that if you want to stay updated with the new collection and the Members Only launch, please sign up at my website.
BPR: Thank you, Ben.
BM: Thank you!
