Kara Janx

Kara Janx (born 17 September 1975) is a South African fashion designer best known for her participation as a contestant on the second season of Bravo's Project Runway, which aired from December 2005 to March 2006. Quotes I am from Johannesburg, South Africa, and have been in New York for the past 13 years. I studied architecture in school, and then when I came to New York I worked at an architecture firm and took night classes at FIT. I had always wanted to pursue fashion, but I didn't think of fashion as being as 'serious' as architecture. At FIT, I learned about sewing, silk screen, and drapery and realized that fashion was so much more rigorous than I had thought it was, and I decided then that I might want to pursue it exclusively. At the time, I had a small showroom where I was showing a few of my pieces, and the SoHo store Atrium placed a ginormous order, which got the ball rolling and put everything in motion. Can you briefly summarize the path that brought you to All on the Line? Project Runway was such a huge learning curve for me. It is such a process, and so much of the growth comes from having such strong sounding boards and being in an environment that breeds creativity. I couldn't believe how much I grew as a designer and a person. that's a true rags-to-riches story. That kimono dress certainly had legs—can you tell me a bit about how it became involved in All on the Line? I realized that I had to let go of all of the insecurities that I constantly carry around with me. When I went to Project Runway, I was very insecure and psyched out. Joe helped me to realize that I am a talent. If a blog says a shitty thing about me, I've realized that I have to look for another blog that will say something positive. I don't take things as personally anymore. I am very committed to my business, I am very committed to myself, and I am very committed to my family. Through the show, I reached a point where I realized that I am going to have to do whatever it takes to define myself and that the only thing that really matters is that I need to be good. I've also had to realize that I can't be angry at the hurdles that come my way, but instead I have to embrace them. Once you discover that you have a talent, you have to grow it and protect it. I don't second-guess myself as much anymore. Also, I think the line's direction is definitely clearer. As a result of the show, I feel like I am growing up and the brand is growing up well. addition to all your growth as a designer, is there anything that you learned about yourself from being on the show? Because of Joe's influence, the line has become a more sophisticated version of itself. It is full of key pieces that a woman really wants to wear, like a jumpsuit and a blazer. It feels like stuff I want to wear. I am dying to make those pieces for myself, and I haven't had that in my collection in a long time. I feel like I have finally grown into my collection, if that makes sense. Also meeting Viktor and Rolf—which was mind-blowing—really helped me because I saw how directional all of their looks were, which inspired me to make my collection more cohesive. I left ruffles and all of those girly things aside in my revised collection and made it more streamlined. My earlier collections were the younger incarnation of this line, but there is still a feeling of youthfulness. The line I debuted in the show is the more polished older sister of my original collection. What do you mean by saying that the brand is growing up? It's always interesting to meet people on the set of a reality-TV show because all of your exchanges take place in a stylized environment. I challenged Joe's sincerity in the beginning but learned that there is so much of Joe that is warm, open, receptive, and authentic. I know that I needed to heed what he was saying. I also admire how he is always able to keep himself in the game. He is 24/7, and I love that. This business is a 24/7 game—fashion is a lifestyle, and if you want to live it you need to step it up. Joe taught me that if you can't keep yourself and your brand fresh and relevant, you are finished. Joe insists on the best, and he wants to pull out the best in everyone. I am really inspired by that. That brings us to All on the Line. Tell me about what is was like to work with Joe Zee. He looked at my kimono and saw the strength of it and its potential to be my signature piece. After Project Runway, I was so removed from it because it had stigma and glory and all of these things attached to it. Joe looked at my kimono with fresh eyes and counseled me on its the strengths and weaknesses. He told me that I needed to work my new collection around it and dig deep again in my designs—like I hadn't done in a long time. Can you give me some specific examples about how he helped your brand evolve from a design perspective? He told me that I had a very good sense of color and that I have the talent to create very strong silhouettes. He said the weaknesses in the looks were that they were too young and not as architectural as they should be. So the kimono returns once again! What were some of those strengths and weaknesses in designs that Joe identified? External links Category: living people Category:Women from South Africa Category:Fashion designers from South Africa Category:1975 births Category:Women born in the 1970s