Greg's Friends: November 2007 Archives

Want to give my pal, Johnny Diaz, a little attention for his novel "Boston Boys Club" which I am finally reading and happily absorbed in. Johnny is on a magazine cover which you can learn more about from his Beantown Cuban blog.

And up above, is a video of a reading he did from the book at the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Assn. convention in San Diego a few months ago which is where I had a good time hanging out with him. Terrific guy, terrific writer!

I have never watched "Project Runway." Does that mean I have to turn in my gay card? But I did attend the kick-off party for season one at the now-closed iCandy in West Hollywood. iCandy may have folded, but "Project Runway" keeps on rolling with its fourth season premiere tonight on Bravo.

I am rooting for a very talented designer from Echo Park named Rami Kashou who is an acquaintance of mine and who I've taked to, at length, about his work at the various parties and events I've seen him at over the last few years. Saw him last month at a birthday party for a mutual friend and tried to squeeze some info out of him about the new season but his lips were sealed with Super Glue! Well, they might as well of been.
The only quote I got out of him other than "I can't talk about the show" was what I got off the show's Web site: "I think 'Project Runway' will introduce my work to a bigger audience."

Rami's got a really interesting backstory story which I remember him telling me over brunch once. He was born in Ramallah on the West Bank before coming to California as a young man and attending Brooks College. But he left after a few months to go about it on his own.

He worked in retail including traveling to Europe as a buyer. He kept studying pattern, bought two sewing machines and began to create a collection that was picked up by various notable Los Angeles boutiques. He has dressed celebrities such as Jessica Alba, Fergie, Tyra Banks, Amy Smart, Erykah Badu, Lucy Lui, Tracee Ellis Ross, Lindsay Lohan, Paris Hilton, Penelope Cruz and Shiva Rose.

His designs have been seen on the pages of In Style, Flaunt, Vogue, Lucky, Elle, Angelino, Interview, People and Us Weekly. Rami was also commissioned to design the costumes for the March 2005 America's Next Top Model add campaign for billboards across the nation.

And the winner is...