Jay McCarroll is back, and distancing himself from his Project Runway fame. The first-season winner is the subject of a new feature documentary, Eleven Minutes (named for the length of the average runway show). Eleven Minutes follows Jay as he prepares for his first solo runway show during New York Fashion Week. Covering over a year of Jay’s life, the film shows every aspect of prepping his own show, from sketches to sourcing to sewing to sponsors. We sat down with the vivacious Jay to talk about the film and where his career is.

What are you wearing?
What am I not wearing here? This is just stuff I collect. Actually, these two [points to two of many necklaces] I just got today on Melrose. I just want to be an African woman.

All the stress you went through preparing for your Bryant Park show, was it worth it?
When you are a young designer, and offering your first line, they hold back a little bit. The show was so stressful, that I don’t think I ever want to do that again. It was the last day of Fashion Week, and they put me in a late time slot, so a lot of people were already on their way to London Fashion Week. It’s funny, because the most press I have gotten for that fashion show is from this film. I was in Toronto, and I was on the front page of their newspaper’s Style section, for the film. I didn’t get anything close to that for the fashion show. It took a film to get people to notice it.

Has the film sparked any new interest from buyers?
No. But technically it is not out yet, so maybe after it comes out, it will.

There are many similarities to Isaac Mizrahi’s documentary, Unzipped. Was that an inspiration to you in any way?
I definitely think that Eleven Minutes is an updated, “now” version of that. Who better than a reality television has-been like myself? That’s so “now.” But his was a little more of a character study, and mine is more about the process of making clothes, and all the things that go in to prepping a fashion show. It’s still about me, but more of the business side of me.

How did you get involved in this documentary?
I did a show called Project Jay, it was a follow-up to Project Runway. They followed me around – basically it was, “oh, we have a successful reality show, we want to milk you for all we can.” It was supposed to be a series, but it ended up only being one episode. The intention was that they wanted to show me doing a line for Fashion Week. But the timing was off: I had back surgery, and it threw everything off for months, so we just shot what we could. One thing was me coming out to LA and making a dress for Heidi Klum to wear to the Emmy Awards – which she never wore. She just had a baby and wanted a backless gown. I knew it wasn’t going to work, but whatever. She ended up wearing Dior. Project Jay was done by Michael Selditch and Rob Tate, who did Eleven Minutes. They told me that, since Project Jay didn’t work out, if you ever do create a collection for Fashion Week, we’d love to follow you and make a film.

We wanted it to be a real film, thinking about the longevity of Unzipped and how it was still relevant in today’s fashion industry – the models, the glamour, all that shit. They followed me around for a year and a half, it was 300 hours of footage, from which they created an hour and 45 minute documentary.

The prize for Project Runway is $100,000 to start your own line. Yet in the movie, you were broke and everyone was working for free. What happened to the money?
I didn’t take the prize money. I can’t legally talk about it, but it wasn’t morally right for me. But in fashion, $100,000 doesn’t really go anywhere. After you pay the taxes, you have $70,000, and what does that pay for? A few coke parties? [laughing]

[ed note: Jay turned down the prize money because the original Project Runway contract stipulated that the show would receive 10% of all Jay's design profits, in perpetuity, for the rest of his life. He would not agree to that, and as such declined the money]

As a designer, what did you think of Michelle Obama’s Inauguration Day dresses?
I actually liked the story behind the dresses more than the actual clothes. Isabel Toledo – Cuban-American. Jason Wu – Asian-American. I think that is really representative of what America is going through right now. She could have just as easily worn Oscar de la Renta or Isaac Mizrahi, or someone very American. I don’t think it is coincidence that Jason Wu is a young, up-and-coming Vogue-approved designer.

Maybe she will commission something from you
I’m not interested. I mean, maybe if she wears a hoodie when she is hanging out at home. Just because you are a fashion designer, people think you want to be the next Michael Kors or Oscar de la Renta – making formal gowns for red carpet events. That is not my forte – it never has been. I grew up on the sales rack at The Gap. I grew up on Sears husky jeans, getting them hemmed by my mother. That’s where I come from – a mass-market fashion. I have the capability to make gowns and avant-garde, high-fashion, but I am just not interested in it as much as having the everyday people of America wearing comfortable clothes. I hate being asked, “Do I look okay? What should I be wearing?” I don’t know, wear a sack, wear stained sweatpants. Are you happy? Are you peaceful? That is more important.

Which do you think is better for the fashion industry: Los Angeles or New York?
There’s more of an infrastructure and history for it in New York, but I think LA is awesome. I think it is more inspiring here. You can breathe! You can see trees! You can go to amazing vintage shops. It’s not so corporate.

Would you ever do costume design for a film?
Oh yeah. I’d love to design for film, or costumes for a dance. Even write my own film, or a book.

Are you designing right now?
Oh yeah. For my website, under my own label. It’s small. I’m not trying to be Michael Kors. I also have a line of fabric out that just launched through Westminster Fibers.

While filming the documentary, were you conscious of the cameras?
Not at all. I live my life however I want want to.

What inspires your designs?
Anything and everything. Even sitting on the toilet. Right now, I hate seeing the black skinny-jeans-and-hoodie combo, so I am dressing as a multicultural entity.

Are you working on a Fall 2009 collection?
I don’t follow the rules. In any other industry, you don’t force people to be “new” and “fresh” every six months. If I want to do one collection every two decades, that is my prerogative. Hopefully people will still be paying attention.

What is your favorite part about living in Philly?
It’s affordable. It’s real. I like it because people don’t ask for my business card.

Eleven Minutes opens 20 February in Philadelphia, San Francisco, Los Angeles, NYC, and Tempe, AZ. It is also available on demand on the Here! network. The filmmakers also plan on releasing the film on DVD, so watch this space for details on that.

To view trailers and get more info, visit the film’s official website. To buy some of Jay’s designs, you can find him online at JayMcCarroll.com

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