Whether he's the designer you love or the designer you love to hate, Santino Rice is the Project Runway alum least likely to be forgotten. And is it any wonder? In an industry ruled by air kisses, editorial czars, and all forms of obsequiousness, Rice doesn't exactly fit the mold. In fact, he's more like the infuriatingly brilliant kid in high school who always lands himself in detention--too smart to debate, too funny to dislike, too talented to dismiss. We recently caught up with Rice and dished the dirt on his latest projects, what he really thought about Project Jay, and why he walked away from the show with far more than $100,000.

We've missed you, Santino. We tried watching Top Chef after Project Runway wrapped, but alas, no Timpressions…. What should we do to spice up our prime-time programming?
I suggest a boycott on television until I return [laughs]. Honestly, it's probably a good idea to cut back on TV in general--read a book, learn to knit. People should really limit their intake of all the nonsense that's on. I'm all for guilty pleasures, but really, everything in moderation. I go over to people's houses, and the idiot box is on 24/7. And usually, it's just noise--programs that aren't even worth polluting your thought process with! If people are lonely without the TV on, they should rent some amazing films or absorb truly important, beautiful movies. Or hook up a treadmill to the set--when you quit, your set quits.

How has Project Runway changed your life? Is it easier to get dates and free stuff now?
About f**king time [laughs]! If people treated each other the way they treat me, we'd live in a beautiful world! Definitely, life has changed for me in 1,000 ways. It's great to be sought after and recognized for your talent. Yes, I wanted to win Project Runway, but I got so much more than that--brand recognition. The name Santino means something to people when they hear it. Good or bad, it's in everyone's memory. And dating? Yeah, I get free p***y and d**k all day long, but what's new [laughs]? Gold diggers and star f**kers, the line starts here! What amuses me is that people email me for money now--as if being on TV means you're rich. Did you see the show? I'm far from rich, but whatever. There are also people who still want to believe I'm a villain, but it just makes me laugh now.

The season-two DVD set was just released. What can we expect to see that we didn't see on the show?
Every episode is quite a bit longer than what aired on television, and you get to see a lot more interaction among the designers. There's a "Wear Are They Now" piece that shows me after the show on the set of my photo shoot, along with some footage of the casting process for season three. You get to see yet another longer, yet still edited, version of my runway debate with Nina Garcia. I would have loved for people to have seen the full 90 minutes of that argument, but once again, it's about only presenting a certain thing. Plus, I think Cynthia Rowley felt uncomfortable having to be involved with that nonsense. I say that only because she's barely shown at all, which was probably her call. The humor of what I'd created was so obvious to me. When I pointed out that the judges had no sense of humor, that hit Cynthia pretty hard. She said, "You really think I don’t have a sense of humor?" And I said, "Well, if you're going along with all this s**t that's being said to me right now, I know you don't!" Outside of that episode on Project Runway, I think Cynthia Rowley is great and supercreative. I love her boutiques, and I really do think she has a sense of humor--it shows in all her work. In that moment though, they were all unfairly ganging up on me, so I needed to let them know the boat from the barnacles, so of speak. I found myself getting all riled up revisiting all the episodes on the DVD, so I guess it hasn't lost any of the magic.

Your final collection was so exquisite that many people feel you got robbed. The judges wanted more refinement, then seemed to feel the collection was too refined. Their comments seemed capricious at times. What do you think?
Thank you! Yes, I was robbed, but it's okay. They can't ever steal what's inside of me. Don't get me wrong, I would've loved the money--especially because I earned that and then some. However, I didn't need the validation of being crowned the winner to consider myself a real designer. I feel like no matter what I showed, it would've fallen upon deaf ears--pearls before swine. As soon as the judges opened their mouths, I knew they'd made their decisions long before they even saw my collection, which was undeniably beautiful and 100 percent Santino. The fit issue was all they could try to stick on me, and it was completely fabricated and fraudulent. Watch the instant replay, and pause that s**t! I saw way more ill-fitting garments in Chloe's and Daniel's collections, but that was mysteriously overlooked. Also, I loved it when Nina said that she appreciated the fact that I took what the judges had said to me into consideration. As if! She probably thinks this song is about her. I created what I created because it was what I was feeling. My collection was relevant and, yes, somber and feminine. I designed it, I made it, I know! I could never imagine creating an entire collection to please the likes of them, or anyone other than myself for that matter. That kills me. The collection I designed was very personal and very thoughtful. They needed to make up s**t to say so they could dismiss it. But oh well, what can you do when you're up against that much animosity from the judges? So they cut off their nose to spite their face, robbed Santino of the win, then ended up discrediting themselves and looking irrelevant, tasteless, and out of touch. What a trade off! Let's see how their decision works out for them in the long run. It's a disservice to Chloe, however, because I know it was more about the judges not wanting to give it to me than it was that she won on the merit of her collection. None of this is very PC to say, but it's honest.

Do you have any regrets about anything that happened on the show? Is there anything you would do differently?
No regrets. I presented myself, hiccups and all, to compete on a reality game show. I gave the powers that be a lot to work with, and they created a storyline and built plot twists around me. And all the while, I was having a great, albeit stressful, time. I knew what I was getting myself into, and I'm always looking at the bigger picture. It's one thing to be a sound bite and another to be a compelling, passionate human being.

Do you keep in touch with Andrae, Nick, or the other designers from Season 2?
Both of those guys live in L.A., and we run into one another quite often. I think everyone's busy doing their thing, but they've got my number. I wish the best for all of them.

How about Nina Garcia? Does she ever call or write?
I never gave Nina my number—the damage is done. What more does she really need to say to me? You're funny for this one!

You designed SuChin Pak's dress for the MTV Movie Awards. What was that experience like, and do you have any more celebrity commissions in the works?
It was a blast. SuChin and MTV were so supportive of my work, and the whole experience was so chill and beautiful. SuChin and I were able to create an amazing look for her, and I'm looking forward to the next time we can collaborate. I have more on my plate than I can deal with at the moment, but when the next celebrity wearing my designs hits the red carpet, you will know. Until then, I don't want to jinx myself by naming names. It amazes me to meet so many celebrities who are fans of mine and of the show--you can't fabricate that. People always say, "Santino, you should've won!" And I tell them, "I did win!" I must say, I'm sick of hearing it, but it comes with the territory, I guess.

The third season of Project Runway premieres on July 12. Can we expect to see a Santino appearance?
Tune in to the first episode to see the casting for season three and a "Where Are They Now" recap of season one and two designers. That's all I know. Unless they've CGI-ed me into this season, I'm not involved. I'll be watching, though, and rooting on my favorites.

Is there any chance that we'll see a Project Santino spin-off?
I may be involved in more television projects that revolve around me as a designer, within the context of fashion and events relating to my life--I'm open to anything. However, the word Project won't be anywhere near the working title of my show. Bravo really missed an opportunity to present the young designer in a different light with Jay McCarroll. Project Jay ended up looking rushed, unthoughtful, and ultimately showed Jay really negatively. It was as if they talked him into doing all that s**t just to set him up for the fall! On the one hand, you can say, "Shame on Jay" for doing such an expose without the experience and know-how to pull it off. But on the other hand, you could say, "Shame on Bravo" for producing and airing such an unfinished piece of s**t that prematurely showed a young man struggle against insurmountable odds...and fail miserably. It's like, "Come on guys, lie to me. I don't care." It was just so awkward to watch it all go down like that. Project Jay even made Heidi Klum look bad to most viewers, which is pretty inconceivable.

Because she chose to go with the Dior dress?
Hey, I don't blame her for not wanting to wear Jay's dress--he could've made it a third time, and I still wouldn't have wanted to wear it. Jay McCarroll or Christian Dior? Hmm...that's a tough one! Give me a break--it's a no-brainer why Heidi chose to wear the Christian Dior. I just question why any of that needed to be documented. I'm personally in no hurry to capitalize on my celebrity from Project Runway. I'm now hearing, "Oh, Santino, you know, there's a shelf life for reality stars...." Maybe so, but I could give a f**k less. Even if the world completely forgets about me in a year's time, I'll just kick in the door again and remind everyone who I am. The difference between me and your run-of-the-mill reality show contestant is that I have undeniable talent and skill. I wasn't created; I'm the creator. So when I chose to attach myself to something, I'll have a hand in developing it, and it will be compelling and genius and relevant and funny. I existed before, and I'll exist within it or without it. To my fans who miss me and my work, I miss you, too. But we'll see each other in due time, and thanks for the support. --Jennifer Riley

Related Links:
Project Runway Season 2 Archive
Project Runway Alumni Series: Kara Janx
Project Runway Alumni Series: Andrae Gonzalo
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