The Bobby Bones Show - Dare to Design with Fashion Designer Matt Sarafa

Episode Date: September 14, 2022

On this episode of the podcast, host Betty Who is joined by celebrity fashion designer, Matt Sarafa. Matt knows how to let fashion fuel his voice and how to make confidence a calling card. Together they explore how self-expression can mean sustainable fashion and how the couture runway can get rowdy and real. Whether it’s that pop of color or a provocative cut of fabric, fashion is our armor. It is an extension of who we are and what we have to say. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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see the right care fast. Health care just got less painful. Hi everyone and welcome back to Unfiltered the JBL podcast, an IHart Radio production in partnership with JBL. I am your host Betty Who. It's me. Hello. This podcast is a place to minimize the noise and tune into authentic and unfiltered conversations about identity, art, self-expression and so much more. How are you guys doing? Are you holding up okay? I'm just really thinking about you all the time. And you know what else I've been thinking about? Fashion. Yes, I have been dealing with a lot of expression in my own life through my fashion.

My fashion sense has really changed in the last couple years. I'm definitely experimenting with a bunch of new looks. And so I really wanted to spend today diving into the world of fashion because, after all, the way we dress is an extension of how we can express ourselves. And so I am so excited, you guys, to be joined by a seriously impressive fashion designer. can't believe it. The one and only Matt Sarafa as the youngest designer to have ever shown at New York Paris and LA Fashion Week. Matt has come such a long way since he started designing at age seven. Such a baby. If you don't recognize him from Project Runway Jr., you may have seen his celebrity

stylings for icons from Tyra Banks, what, to Doja Cat? So crazy, this boy is so serious. I can't wait to get into it. Come join us. I'm so happy to have you here. I have so many. questions for you. You started designing when you were seven years old, which is so crazy to me. I want to know what got you interested in fashion and style. Like, what are your favorite parts about it now that you're so many years in and you're still just a baby? Tell me about how you got started. Yeah, like you said, I started getting into fashion at seven years old. It was the craziest thing and I remember it so vividly. My mom was recovering from surgery and I was sitting on the couch with her flipping through TV channels and we stumbled across a marathon of Project Runway. And this was like a show that I'd never seen before. And I was just completely enthralled in it.

And I was just so perplexed how these designers could take, you know, an idea from their head, put it down on paper, and then bring it to life through textiles and creation. And I was just so entranced by it. And it was so cool. And my mom still tells me to the stage. She's like, you turn to me and you said, mom, I think I can do this. And I ran downstairs, got my little sketchbook. And I was sketching out these elaborate designs. And literally the rest is pretty much history.

Matt, it's so stinky. It's so cute. It's really cute. It sounds like a movie, honestly. It's very crazy. And I never would have thought that that TV watching experience would have pretty much changed the trajectory of my entire life. Well, and like, as you said, these people are taking fabric and texture and its expression, right?

You're expressing a part of yourself. It's a part of your personality. and you're trying to take what is inside and put it on the outside, which I think is really so many people don't know how to do. And obviously you have a taste for it at seven years old. And then you just grow into this incredible designer and you're working in this fashion. How do you personally, especially now, use fashion as the extension of your personality? How does that come through? How do you express that part of yourself?

How does it change when you're expressing other people and helping them get dressed? Oh my gosh. I mean, to me, fashion is such a powerful tool. and it's so much more powerful than people realize. You know, it's so much more than just clothes and shopping and that kind of stuff. Like, to me, an outfit is like a suit of armor, and it gives me the confidence to go about my day, put myself out there. And, you know, people see what you're wearing when you first walk into the room.

And it really says so much about you. It's the first thing people notice about you. I often feel that. I say that all the time. Exactly. And that's why it's so important. And the best feeling in the world is being able to create something that I love and that came from my brain. and seeing someone else wear it and make them feel like the baddest one when they step into the room.

Like, that's the best thing to me. So I love my job. I love fashion so much. And I really, I couldn't see myself doing anything else. Yeah. You know, obviously, I love fashion. And I think being in music, fashion has such a, like, obvious tie in. And it's a huge part of the way that artists express themselves.

I'm always really interested as far as how your fashion or sort of that process flows through you. Like, do you do a lot of moodboarding? Are you a sketcher? Absolutely. So I graduated from UCLA in 2020 and I was a design media art major. Congratulations. Thank you. Graduated during the pandemic from my living room, pandemic graduation. And you know I dressed up and had a full beat face because I was not letting that moment go to wait. But before UCLA, I was doing everything old-fashioned. Like I had about a thousand sketchbooks in my room. I was doing everything by hand. And when I went to UCLA, I learned so much about. you know, digital media and all these different programs. So now I do everything digitally. Usually on my iPad is where I sketch ideas out. Like a pen and an iPad. I love watching people work on

because it's like also a different thing, right? It's where you're like one with the computer in a different way than you are with a sketchpad or something. It's just a different set of skills. I think that's really interesting. Absolutely. And it's just the opportunities are limitless. Okay. So in your process, how as much as when you're in it and you're designing for other people, How much does that play into your own sort of like expression of yourself? Do you find yourself being like, okay, I'm in jeans and a t-shirt because I have to make everybody else look fabulous. Or are you like, I am number one.

You know, you showed up in this fabulous fur or henny. She said, I am here. I'm making a statement. Are you very like particular about making sure that you are also expressing yourself? I'm never going to let nobody outshine me. That's one thing about me. I felt like I knew that that was going to be your answer, Matt, somehow. I mean, fashion is so exciting.

And like the most exciting part for me is getting to dress up and express myself. So I'm never going to let that go. I'm not going to let none of my clients or none of my customers look bad. But I'm not going to let myself look bad either. I can't forget about me. I appreciate that. I love that for you. But at the end of the day, I'm a firm believer in look good, feel good, do good.

Like if I'm not looking my best, I'm not feeling my best. And I can't be the best version of myself for other people. So got to throw on a fur sometimes. You are wise beyond your years, Matt. That's so great that you already have this. You can hold on to that when the going is getting really wild. Like, I really feel like that's a huge part of being able to sustain. Like, that's really what you're trying to do is you're building an empire.

It's so exciting. But I want to go back even further before you are at this stage in your life. Can you tell me about being able to compete on Project Runway, Junior, when you were 17 years old, like, how intense was the competition? I just shot a reality dating TV shows. So if anybody knows how crazy reality TV can. be, I now have a new respect and understanding for it. How was that experience for you? Oh, my God.

I still say to this day, it was the most stressful, but most rewarding experience ever. It was really such a full circle moment since, you know, Project Runway is what really introduced me into the fashion world. So getting to be a part of the Project Runway family at such a young age was absolutely, like, mind-blowing to me. It was so exciting. And I got to meet so many other cool people because, you know, it's, is kind of like a niche industry. There's not so many kids that are out here designing. So getting to meet a whole

group of them at once and spend like literally the entire summer together, it forged lifelong friendships that like I still have to this day. We still have a group chat. We still talk. Well, community is really important in your world, right? And so like, how do you feel connected to competition now a couple years off to this show and where it's like so ingrained in you and you're forced into this pressure cooker situation? And then you get out into the real world. Do you feel like hungry to set yourself apart and like share the thing that you're doing or are you sort of like no i know what it feels like to compete now i'm just out here trying to like be my best self where are you at somewhere in between maybe it's more so the second one i would say i am the competitive person by nature

but the person that i'm most competitive with is myself i just really try to outdo myself every day and just try to be the best that i possibly can be because at the end of the day in the fashion industry I believe your biggest asset is your uniqueness because nobody can do or be who I am and nobody has the perspective on things that I do. So, you know, it's really easy to kind of feel the need to change that to fit in. And I feel like that's where so many people go wrong because it's like anybody can copy what they see coming down the runway

or what they see on celebrities. But to have like a unique perspective on fashion, that is your biggest asset. And that's something that I tell everybody who's trying to get into the industry like never, never lose that and never let anyone squash that. But, you know, my ultimate goal is I just want to take my brand as far as it can possibly go. And I've come a long way and I've done so many things that I never thought that I would have done at this point in my life. But I want to keep pushing myself to keep growing and being better and getting bigger and just sharing, you know, my perspective with the world and leaving my mark.

That's ultimately what I want to do when, you know, my time is up here on Earth. I want to leave a mark and I want it to be a positive one. I love that. I definitely relate to that sentiment. Do you have like goals, speaking of sort of validating ourselves in all the ways that we have succeeded instead of focusing on all the ways that we haven't gotten to the place yet? Are there any goals or things that you've set for yourself along the journey that you've been on where you're like, hey, I really did that. I'm checking that goal off my list. Like, will you share with me some of the things that you've done so far that you're really proud of? I want to know. Absolutely. I mean, the biggest, like, accomplishment I think of my life that I still cannot believe happened is I'm the youngest designer to have shown. at New York, Paris, and LA Fashion Weeks, which is like beyond crazy. And it had always been something on my bucket list. And I checked that off when I was like 21 years old. And I have it tattooed on my leg.

It's like my only tattoo because I was so proud of myself. Because you should be. My first time ever being in Paris in my life was getting to be there, having a show at Paris Fashion Week. And that was just such a life-changing experience. Oh, my gosh. I'm so happy for you. and that sounds incredible. And I wish that I had been there.

Now I want to come to a show. We'll do this next time. Next one, I'm going to send you an invite. I'll die. Nice. I'll get you front row too. I want to come, Matt. Yes.

Let's make it happen. Thank you. I will wear an Anna Wintour wig and we'll have it altogether. I love that. I have sunglasses and all. 100%. Okay. So when you're creating these fashion shows,

which now you have like done and been, you know, now you're a pro. You're kidding 21, baby. Now we're a couple years in. We're doing it. Yes. I am curious, of course, because I'm the musician, music is such a huge element of putting together or kind of creating a vibe for your show. What is your sort of style that you like to collaborate in?

Like, what is your vision for how you like music to support your art and vision? Absolutely. Music is so important for a fashion show. And I feel like I take a little bit of a different approach to putting together fashion shows. Like, I am very model-focused because at the end of the day, I want the models to feel comfortable. in what they're wearing, what they're walking to, what shoes they've got on. I want them to feel good because I feel like that kind of shines through and resonates through the outfits.

And it makes it, it can either make or break the whole look. So I actually work with a lot of models and I'm like, okay, these are some options that I have for songs. Like, can you tell me what you feel the best walking to? What do you want to walk to? Okay, cool. What feels good? What's the vibe?

Because I feel like at the end of the day, it's just as much their show as it is mine because they are the ones that are presenting my clothes and they are making or breaking the show. So I want them to feel comfortable. I want them to feel badass and I want them to go out there and kill it confidently. More on Unfiltered the JBL podcast after a quick break. Amazon Health AI

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What celebrity would you love to style who you have yet to style? Oh, my gosh. I love Lady Gaga. I've been the biggest monster. since I was little. So she would be an icon. Pause up. Rihanna, I think, is such...

She does it so well and so effortlessly that I would die to see her in my stuff. She would rock this fur. I would pay money to see... Right. And she could even do some of the funkier stuff, too. Like, she can really make anything work for her, and those are the kind of people that, like, I idolize.

So I really, I really love her. So we got to get a fur on Rihanna. Okay, that's a really good one. Gagah? And re-read. Yes. Gagah and reread. Okay.

So we're looking forward. We're looking at fashion. It's trend alert. It's time. What trends do you see happening in the world that you're obsessed with? What is Matt Saroffa's favorite stuff? Y2K is big right now. Like, what's your vibe?

What are you looking around seeing? What makes you excited? Y2K is huge. But the trend that I'm the most excited for, it's been kind of peeking its head up these past few seasons, but it is like androgynist style. And that makes my heart so happy. And I'm sure we can relate.

on that because like I live for androgynous looks and I feel like fashion should not be a binary kind of thing. Literally could not agree more. It's just it's so stupid and that's one thing that is at the heart of my brand. You'll never see like a men's and a women's section on my website because I feel like as human beings, I feel like we should feel allowed and we should feel empowered to wear whatever the hell we see and whatever the hell is going to make us feel good. Million percent. So I need to know what is your advice to someone? who you see walking past the you on the street and they look at you and they're like, wow, Matt is so fabulous and being themselves and I wish I could do that.

What is your advice to that person? My advice is you can do it just as easily, if not easier than I can, to be honest. It's like it really is, it's a mental thing and it is a perspective and it's a confidence thing. And the thing about confidence is if you don't have it, fake it till you make it and I promise you you will get there. Million percent. It is like one of those things that it is all in your head and, you know, just like,

saying, oh, I wish I could be like this or I wish I could do that. Just do it. You can do whatever you want. Whatever you set your mind to, you can do. And I learned that, I feel like a little bit later than I would have liked to. And I feel like my life would have been so much better when I was growing up. We are high vibration kinds of people. Only.

GVO, good vibes only. Hello. That'll be my next tattoo. You have your fashion week tattoo. I'll get GVO across my forehead. I love it right here. Sponsored by JBL. Yeah, exactly.

Okay. I want to get in more about your identity, how you stay faithful to that identity. I think especially when your big personalities like us, I'm making an assumption here about us, Matt, but I think we share this. Oh, we absolutely do. Yes. Speaking of this confidence, speaking of this self-love that we are trying to, you know, emanate, I think it can be really difficult to stay true to that without apologies, without censoring yourself in front of some people that maybe you're like instinctively being like, they're not going to get me, you know. So the thing that we are going to ask all of our guests is not only you have found your calling professionally, but how did you find it in yourself living authentically? What has your journey of living authentically been like? How would you describe yourself in this lens? It has definitely been a journey.

That's the understatement of the year, I think. I would think so. And honestly, finding myself is what I had to do before I could find my footing on my career path. Because I feel like when I finally started living for myself and living, unapologetically. And, you know, after I came out, you know, that was when all the pieces of my life finally started to fall into place. And I just became so much more confident, so much more unapologetic is like my favorite word because I feel like that, like, totally describes me. And just like not living so much for what other people think about me and just doing what makes me

happy and what makes me happy is, you know, sharing love and sharing positivity with the rest of the world and, you know, creating fashion and sharing that with everybody else. And it just like, it makes life so much better when you start living for yourself and not for other people. I was just about to say, like, at the end of the day, no one's going to take care of you better than you're going to take care of you. What's the easiest part for you about like living authentically and finding the contentment with who you are. And then inversely, what's the hardest part? The easiest part for me is just letting out all of this fabulosity and all of this energy that

I feel like I've been holding in my whole life and kind of suppressing in a way. Like, starting out and like first kind of cracking open the lid was a little difficult. But now it is just so easy to let it, you know, blow free. Just like rainbowing out of your heart chakra. Exactly. Okay, so that's the easiest part, hardest part, yeah. The hardest part is something that I definitely struggle with. You know, I struggle with a lot of anxiety and I feel like a lot of it comes from the fear of

disappointment. And it's something that I feel like I still need to work and I still need to overcome. And that fear of disappointment is to, you know, my loved ones. But it's also to myself. Like, I hate disappointing myself and letting myself down because I am a perfectionist, which is a blessing and a curse. And, you know, at the end of the day, perfection is not possible. So I'm chasing after something that's never really going to happen.

Yeah, something that's. someone said to me a couple weeks ago, actually, it's pretty fresh, and it's helped to me, is I also have my own anxieties. But someone said to me, I refuse to suffer twice. So if something bad's going to happen, I will suffer then. I'm not going to suffer now if I'm going to suffer later. Wow. Because I know that I will, when I will, because I can't control that stuff.

So I'm just, I'm not going to suffer twice. And I was like, ah, that's kind of useful to me. I'm getting that tattooed on my forehead. That's what I need to see every time I look in the mirror. Put that in like a file somewhere in your head movies. literally in the back of a filing cabinet somewhere and taking a mental note right now yeah we're not going to suffer twice so what is your favorite way to feel your best so for me i'm like a bath girl and then that's like a self-care thing maybe for you you're an extrovert and you need to be outside

with people what's just the thing that makes you go like this is going to make me feel good i would say i'm an extroverted introvert i love spending time with my friends and my family but i need Like, it's not even a want, it's a need. I need time to myself to recharge my battery. I'm huge into self-care. Like, I love a good face mask. I love a good body scrub. Like, I need, like, a full-on...

We're a beauty regimen goutes. Beauty regimen, the house down boots, mama. And so I love that. And I just... One of my favorite things is just, like, having a self-care night and then, like, sitting back. I love watching reality TV. Like, the trashier, the better. So I'll just have, like, a total night put my phone on.

Do not disturb. Nobody can bother. me. I'm going to do like maybe one or two face masks, lay in bed, have some snacks in bed, and just watch all my real housewives, all my love and hip hop, basketball wives, all of that. Okay, see, this is what we power up on is some housewives. Exactly. The housewives give it to us good. Okay, okay, okay. I love me some housewives. So if you're not watching housewives, but you're trying to get a vibe. Like, okay, so Meg is you're walking through the city, her, her, her. You're giving that. What is your like face mask is on?

I am like powering down on the couch. Housewives is off. I'm putting my JBL headphones on to have a moment. What are you listening? What's your vibe set for this self-care energy? That's a very good question. I am a very big, like, female rap kind of person. I love a good female rapper.

Like, I'm a huge Lil Kim fan. She is like one of my favorite people on Earth. And she is an icon, a legend. And she is the moment. She is the moment. She'd be a good one. Lil Kim is a good one for your list. Gagah, Riri, Lil Kim.

Yes. Okay, I have one more question for you. And we've sort of touched on this, but I just, I feel like the whole point of this podcast is really to be in conversation with people that inspire me that are like paving their own way. And you're really like doing something incredible. You are such a tastemaker. And you're, it's really special. I genuinely, I mean that.

Honestly, like you've come so far. You've been through so much. You've learned so much. What do you want to say to anybody who is listening now who looks up to you and is like, I feel so far away from myself, from the best version of myself, and you seem like you're really living in it. Like, how do I do what you're doing? That is such a good question. And the advice that I always give is the best thing, it sounds cheesy, but you just got to be yourself and never lose sight of who you really are.

Surround yourself with people that embrace that and aren't trying to fit in or make you change things to, you know, become a different person. Because at the end of the day, our uniqueness and our charisma is what, makes us different and what sets us apart from the crowd. And if everybody was the same, the world would be such a boring place. Agreed, Matt. Just always lead with love, leave with positivity. And, you know, things are never going to be, it's never going to be an easy road, but it's the highs and the lows that really make us and shape us into who we are as people. And it's not always about, you know, what goes right and what goes wrong. It's about how you deal with it and how you take that and try to turn it around for yourself. That's what builds character in my book.

Yeah. I love that. And also maybe the thing that I thought, as you were talking, just to add, is like, don't be afraid to also experiment. Like, try parts on for yourself and go, is this me today? And if you hate it, then be like, cool, that's not me. And I've tried and don't, you don't have to feel bad or shame about trying this thing. Like, don't be afraid to find yourself as well. I think it's easy for us to say, because we're living out loud and, like, being fabulous versions of ourselves. But it's like, it takes, again, like you were saying being in the closet and you're like the only person I'm fooling is me, baby. like in my Erapostal polo. So be kind to yourself along the way, maybe, while you're finding yourself. Well, Matt, I'm so grateful for your time and I'm so glad that we got to get into this.

I feel like we've spotted trends. We've talked about celebs. We've made playlists together. We've really done it all. So I'm so grateful. This was so much fun. I cannot thank you enough. This just feels like a conversation with an old friend.

Well, now we are old friends, Matt. Thank you so much, Matt, obsessed with you. And let's do it again soon. Any day, anytime, any place, let's do it. I want to thank Matt again so much for chatting with me today. I'm insanely impressed by his insight and success. Really, there is nothing more fulfilling than getting to share your creativity with others. And you can really tell he gets to do what he loves every single day.

I'm so grateful for his time and for his beautiful energy. And I am hopefully, guys, how long do we think it's going to take for me to get into one of those fur? The Matsarapa fur original. I'm on a waiting list, I'm sure. I'm going to email somebody. I'm going to text everybody. we're going to get into it. And that's it for today's episode. But join me again next week as we talk about art. And don't forget to join in on the conversation. I want to hear from you and know what

you think of the podcast. Who do you think we should have on the show? How have you been using your creativity? Share your thoughts with me on socials or leave a rating and review for the podcast wherever you're listening. You can always find me on Instagram and Twitter at Betty Who and on TikTok and YouTube at Betty Who Music. Until next time, Unfiltered the JBL podcast is produced by iHot Radio and partnership with JBL. Our show is hosted by me, Betty Hu. Our executive producer is Molly Sosha. Our EP of post-production is Matt Stillo.

Our editor is Sierra Spreen. This episode was written and produced by Sierra Kaiser. Special thanks to our friends at Harmon Initiative and Donna.