Kenley Collins: From Designer to Rock Diva

Kenley Collins made a splash into the designing pool when she appeared on the fifth season of "Project Runway". Often outspoken, Collins didn't just appear-- She arrived with style. Kenley had highs and lows all throughout her season, but was triumphant over most when she showed her collection at Bryan Park as one of the final three designers. Ultimately, Collins finished in third place, but quite a fan base was created for her designs.

Thankfully, Kenley took time out of her busy schedule for an exclusive interview with Candice Cain about her experience on "Project Runway", her designs and her band, Jetblack Bullseye.

Candice Cain: What motivated you to try out for the fifth season of "Project Runway"?

Kenley Collins: They announced auditions on Bravo after season 4 and I thought I'd give it a try. I was just a freelance children's wear designer and bartender at the time so I had extra time on my hands to put together some fabulous pieces for the audition.

CC: What steps did you have to take in order to get on "Project Runway"?

KC: Create 3 looks for the audition at the W in times square, along with a resume and portfolio, then once you made it through that, you had to do a few bio videos and then sent to LA to meet with the network executives and take a psych test. So it was about a 3 month audition process.

CC: Did you do anything to prepare for the competition before you arrived?

KC: I made myself a pair of jeans and menswear to polish up on those skills.

CC: What was your favorite "Project Runway" challenge?

KC: I liked the third challenge where we were inspired by New York night life. It was fun and I won!

CC: What was your least favorite challenge?

KC: That would be the last challenge before we left to work on our collections. Because at that point, it was so exhausting and there wasn't a lot left in me to work or to even get truly inspired. You have to take a breather sometimes to get back up and do your best work and in this case that was not happening.

CC: You totally rocked the wedding dress challenge, regardless if your dress was compared to someone else's design. (Which, by the way, I don't think you copied anything in the least.) What was your thought process to create that amazing design?

KC: Thank you. I wanted to do a 50's tea length silhouette and knew I had to use feathers and tulle; my two favorite materials to work with. Sometimes the simplest things turn out the best. I must have made that dress 10 more times after the show for brides.

CC: Who was your favorite designer on your season of "Project Runway"?

KC: Daniel Feld. He' incredibly talented

CC: Who was your least favorite designer during your season?

KC: Ooo, I think at one point we all had a bad moments so its hard to tell.

CC: What is Tim Gunn really like?

KC: Forgetful and Judgemental

CC: You have a fabulous look; a trademark, if you will. You have even been likened to a "Fifties pin-up girl", which really isn't far off. What made you create this image for yourself?

KC: I've always loved the 40's/50's style. It stood out to me the most when deciding on what style fits me the best. And my grandmother was a 40's calendar girl and I would just melt over the dresses I saw her wear so I started collecting vintage, reconstructing it, and tailoring it to fit me and that's how I started to learn how to sew.

CC: How did you set yourself on such a fast track for success in the fashion design industry?

KC: Thank you, but I wouldn't really call myself a big success in the industry, I've failed several times, where I've put so much time and effort into a line that I can say people have enjoyed but never bought. But Im happy with the work I put out there and had fun doing it and that's all that matters.

CC: A lot of people would really love to wear your designs. How can they go about obtaining something that you have created?

KC: You can go to www.kenleycollins.com/shop

CC: If you could pick one celebrity to design an outfit for, who would it be?

KC: Nicki Minaj - she's hot right now!
CC: What is your greatest challenge?

KC: Overcoming obstacles in your life that you don't see coming. I've gotten so much better at it.

CC: What do you consider your greatest accomplishment?

KC: Right now, I'm so proud of my band I sing in, Jetblack Bullseye. I work with really talented musicians who wright music around my lyrics and melody. So it's a different way of writing a song but it works! It's a 50's style rock band and we play shows all around Brooklyn and Manhattan. (Check them out on YouTube!)

CC: Once you have conceived your design and make your prototype, who manufactures it?

KC: I make everything

CC: What is your favorite type of clothing to design?

KC: Dresses of course!

CC: What demographic do you like to make clothing for?

KC: Girls who like to be playful with their style. Ages 14-45

CC: What lies ahead for Kenley Collins?

SM: Going on tour with my band Jetblack Bullseye hopefully, soon!

CC: Jetblack Bullseye sounds really unique, unlike a lot of the music that we hear today. Is there an album or a single for sale somewhere? What about music downloads?

KC: Thank you! We have a lot more songs in development and more growing to do as a band so we don't have anything for sale yet, but we do have some demo stuff up on myspace that you can check out. There are also some youtubes up of our shows; Street Boss which is our most popular song has a preview that you can watch on YouTube, and a few songs from our first show.

CC: Who is in the band?

KC: The rest of the members are TJ Provenzano - guitar, Scott Connell - bass, Frankie Perugorria - drums

CC: How long have you been singing and performing?

KC: I was in the choir and did plays starting in junior high and throughout high school, then did some film in college.

CC: How long has Jetblack Bullseye been together?

KC: About 7 months now.

CC: Do you design the outfits for the band to wear when performing?

KC: Haha, no I don't make the guys clothes but sometimes I try to tell them what to wear but their styles are good already, I don't need to. I do however make my clothes for some shows and for any band photos we do.

CC: Is there a performance schedule people can check out if they want to see you perform live?

KC: We're working on a tour schedule now but nothing posted yet. Although, I can tell you that our next show will be in Brooklyn at The Trash Bar February 18th at midnight. We are headlining.

CC: Let's do some fast favorites. Favorite designer?

KC: Channel

CC: Favorite food?

KC: Nachos

CC: Favorite color?

KC: Blue

CC: Favorite television show?

KC: Dexter

CC: Favorite movie?

KC: Riding in Cars with Boys

CC: Favorite actor?

KC: Leonardo DiCaprio

CC: Favorite sports team?

KC: I don't really follow sports which is funny because I was a cheerleader.

CC: Favorite vacation destination?

KC: I only know Bahamas. I used to live there during summers.

CC: Favorite book?

KC: Great Gatsby! Can't wait to see the new movie with Leo!