It was getting late and still no Santino. I kept checking the entrance and at last, there he was! He was exactly as you would expect: lean and tall and wearing a hat. I greeted him and brought him up to our group. Nick and David were still there and honestly, I didn't sense any animosity between Santino and Nick at all. They gladly posed for photos with one of the "hopefuls" who was still with us. (Sorry, I don't want to jinx things for the designer by posting the photos - hope you'll understand.) The Top Design folks had left by then and Kaitlin and Dan were tired too, but we did pose for a "family photo" before they left:
Nick and David took off and I had a very nice LONG talk with Santino. He was really excited about the opportunities that he has had to travel throughout Asia representing Project Runway. He visited Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan and Thailand in a 6-week tour. He told me that Project Runway airs on the Discovery Channel in Asia. At one of his appearances, the reporter expressed regret that Santino "wasn't meaner." He also had the opportunity to visit his brother who is living in Thailand.
Santino has also been lecturing at several Fashion Schools (most recently at FIT in NYC) about the Industry. He has been giving advice to aspiring designers and answering their questions. It never fails that they ask for a Tim Gunn impression or a song. He is happy to comply.
Santino seems cheerful and busy. It was nice to catch up with him. I did remember to ask him some fun questions:
Q: In season one, who left too soon?
A: Austin Scarlett
Q: Who was your favorite?
A: Kara Saun
Q: Season two, who left too soon?
A: John Wade
Q: Who was your favorite?
A: Andrae. I went to his dance performance and it was really great.
Q; Season three, who left too soon?
A: Keith Michael
Q: Who was your favorite?
A: Jeffrey.
Santino was also greeted by some adoring fans. He was very gracious.
I noticed that he brought a little gift bag and I wondered what was inside. It was an autographed copy of the season two DVD! Santino was friendly, outgoing and generous. It was a great evening!
