Welcome back. If you're currently tuned
in to season 20 of Bravo's Project Runway,
you may recognize this familiar face.
Austin based designer Brittany
Allen is competing for her chane
to win on the show's All Star
season and joins me now in stud.
We are so excited to have you on this
morning. Thank you for having m.
Yes, very fun. Yeah.
Now I know there's only so much
you can talk about right now wih
the season currently airing,
but your situation, what I likes
unique is you got a certain cha,
like you had three times, basic.
Yeah, usually
you don't get two chances.
Usually you don't get a second chance.
But I kind of saw this as like, OK, now this.
I get my third chance because my original
season, I got the Syriana saves.
It was like, all right, get it together
and then coming back for All St.
I never knew that that would ha.
You never know if you're going o
get called back for an All Star.
So whenever I got the calls, li.
My gosh, it's finally happening.
But that means you really made a stamp.
I feel like too just in that industry
and in the judges eyes for to be
called back. That's a huge deal.
Yeah, honestly I was so humbledo
be called back and it's I suffea
lot from like self deprecation d
self doubt as a designer and I k
that a lot of creatives do that.
But walking into the workroom that first day,
seeing like Rami Kashou and Fabio cost,
I'm like, what have I done?
Who did I trick into Let it like thinking
that I am good enough to be her,
but you know I am.
I'm worthy of it and I I'm turning out
really good looks so far and you have
to stay tuned to see what happe.
But I'm really proud of the work
and it took me a couple challen.
The first three were just dress,
but I felt like they were kind
of out of my control.
Right now I'm really getting my footing.
In the competition and showing my aesthetics.
So I'm excited about that.
Yeah.
For people who may just be
learning about you, tell me a
little bit about your backgroun,
how you started in fashion.
Was this something you were
always passionate about? No.
No. Well, I love.
I've always loved fashion and I've always
loved like dressing up the Barb.
It's all the cliche, you know.
But I didn't learn to sew until college.
I actually failed anatomy.
I was pre nursing major and
my counselor was like, let's.
Talk because we failed anatomy.
I think that that's like kind of
the crucial thing to be a nurse.
So I was like,
let me just take some electives,
took a swing class,
fell in love with it.
But activewear came about becaue
in 2019 I had a stroke and I
rehabbed using like exercise.
And I just realized like how important
fitness is and taking care of yr
body and listening to your body.
And so I was like,
you know what?
Maybe there is a really big spot for me in
this industry and activewear and mixing.
High fashion garments with actie
wear and creating this new thing
that people haven't seen before.
Wow.
And it you're successful in it .
It was just kind of seems like
almost like you're calling.
Yeah, that worked out. It
was. It almost felt like overni.
I know that it wasn't,
but it was like this tragic thig
happened to me that I thought
was going to ruin my life.
And then it turned out that it
just opened my eyes to a differt
part of the industry that reallI
don't feel like has been tapped.
There's so much boring active wear out there.
But you know.
People are starting for exciting
active wear and if I can be
that plus things that they can
wear in the frozen food section,
like it's just that's what I
want to be to the customer.
So it's been a long journey,
but I finally figured it out.
Like I figured out where where I fit.
And you know, last thing I want to ask
you for those female and male designers
out here watching who live in An
getting to that Project Runway stage.
I'm sure it's like a passion for
them and being this industry,
what advice would you give them?
Breathe first. If you ever
find yourself on that runway,
it's the most nerve wracking thg
in the entire world, especiallyn
you find yourself on the bottom.
Womp, womp. But you know,
whether it's Project Runway,
whether it's just being in the industry,
in this city or wherever you ar,
I always say act like a horse
at the Kentucky Derby and put
the blinders on and don't look
at what everybody else is doing,
because that's already been don.
And if you're creating something
that's already out there,
then what are you doing for the industry?
Just do what is very true to yo.
Don't worry about anybody else.I
love that. Yeah.
Great piece of advice there.
And we will be rooting for you this season.
I'm so excited to watch you for.
Yes, Awesome. Forever.
And if you want to catch Brittay
on Project Runway Allstar seaso,
it's airing every Thursday on B.
And yeah, we are so excited to have you.
Thank you. Thanks for coming.