Louise Black has one foot in the Gothic past, but she looks to a bright, shining future. She’s one of sixteen contestants in the sixth season of “Project Runway”, the popular show that pits women’s fashion designers against each other for the ultimate prize of $100,0000 to start their own fashion line. Each week the contestants create an ensemble based on a quirky challenge. In previous seasons, for example, designers created unique looks using only deconstructed jeans. Her unique style, a mixture of playful and Gothic, landed Black on the show. She takes inspiration from centuries-old styles — intricate beading, flapper silhouettes or vintage fabrics — and mixes in unexpected elements such as antique ceramic doll parts or a mock window displaying a whimsical drawing on a corset. “Doll parts creep people out to a certain extent, but I think the way I work them into the pieces that I make are more frilly and girly, so they kind of cancel each other out,” Black says. With her husband and business partner, Eric Jackson, Black moved to East Dallas from the New York City area. “Old houses really appeal to me and my husband, and that’s specifically what we were looking for when we moved here — an old turn-of-the-century house with hardwood floors and great mouldings. I want to be surrounded by a home that inspires me.” She counts fellow contestants Irina and Malvin, and Tim Gunn among her favorites on the show. Black brightens when talking about meeting Gunn, the sharp, upbeat mentor of the contestants who critiques and encourages each design mid-construction. “He’s just as sweet in person as he appears on TV.” Black shares a season highlight for her. “He said to me ‘Louise, I’m your number one fan!’ I don’t know if he was just saying that to be encouraging, but I hope they show that bit on-camera.” Among her clients, Black counts a few celebrities, including raucous comedian Margaret Cho.
“Project Runway,” featuring Louise Black, is on the Lifetime Network Thursdays at 8 p.m. this fall.
