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Debra Little shows photos of her son Austin Scarlett on the kitchen table of her Nevada City apartment Friday afternoon. Scarlett is competing in Bravo's new reality show "Project Runway."
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ENLARGE
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Nevada City resident Debra Little subscribed to cable just one day before the new series on Bravo - "Project Runway" - aired its first episode on Wednesday.
And she and her daughter, Nevada Union graduate Kelsea Scarlett, don't plan to miss a single week.
Debra is doing what any other proud mother would - watching her only son, Austin Scarlett, do what he does best. In this case, her son's talent is designing clothing.
"He was already making ensembles in the fifth grade," sister Kelsea Scarlett said.
Now, 26-year-old Austin is one of 12 contestants undergoing "Survivor"-style challenges revolving around fashion. His goal is to survive weekly eliminations to be one of the final three who will have their portfolios featured during New York's Fall Fashion Week in February 2005 - one of the most elite events in the fashion world.
The ultimate winner's designs will be photographed by Elle magazine, and he or she will receive $100,000 to start a personal line. The winner also will receive a mentorship from the Banana Republic Design Team.
So far, Austin is off to a promising start. He won the first round with his "innovative" idea of using organic corn husks as material in crafting a stylish cocktail dress. The challenge was to create a glamorous design using materials from a grocery store. Others employed items such as duct tape, saran wrap, paint, ribbons and even a lawn chair.
"He was the only one who used organic materials," his mom said, noting that the family lived in Eugene, Ore., for several years where her son was exposed to the importance of organic food and products.
And she and her daughter, Nevada Union graduate Kelsea Scarlett, don't plan to miss a single week.
Debra is doing what any other proud mother would - watching her only son, Austin Scarlett, do what he does best. In this case, her son's talent is designing clothing.
"He was already making ensembles in the fifth grade," sister Kelsea Scarlett said.
Now, 26-year-old Austin is one of 12 contestants undergoing "Survivor"-style challenges revolving around fashion. His goal is to survive weekly eliminations to be one of the final three who will have their portfolios featured during New York's Fall Fashion Week in February 2005 - one of the most elite events in the fashion world.
The ultimate winner's designs will be photographed by Elle magazine, and he or she will receive $100,000 to start a personal line. The winner also will receive a mentorship from the Banana Republic Design Team.
So far, Austin is off to a promising start. He won the first round with his "innovative" idea of using organic corn husks as material in crafting a stylish cocktail dress. The challenge was to create a glamorous design using materials from a grocery store. Others employed items such as duct tape, saran wrap, paint, ribbons and even a lawn chair.
"He was the only one who used organic materials," his mom said, noting that the family lived in Eugene, Ore., for several years where her son was exposed to the importance of organic food and products.
For his mom and sister, the most important part of seeing Austin Scarlett on the show is knowing he is following his dream, something that has not always been easy, especially during his teenage years when he had some hard times socially.
"He stayed very, very true to himself. He has also inspired his sisters," Little said, who also has another daughter, Jesslyn Scarlett, who lives in New York City and is an assistant to her brother.
Debra lived with her three children outside New York City until moving back to her home state of California just four years ago. While Austin has never lived in Nevada County, he does come back occasionally to visit his mother and sister.
"He really likes the Yuba River. He loves the history and the quaintness - the same reasons we all love it here," Debra said. She also said her son has a particular fondness for local historic icon Lola Montez, and when he discovered she spent several years in Nevada County, he sent his mother on a mission to find all the books written about her.
Debra said watching her son on the show Wednesday was exciting. She watched with Kelsea and some friends and said they drank champagne and made her son's favorite meal - chicken and dumplings.
Throughout the audition process and filming, she said her son has remained calm and confident. "I think I was probably more nervous than he was," she said.
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When it's on
"Project Runway" next airs at 10 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 8, on Bravo. Episode reruns are also aired daily at various times. For more showtimes, visit Bravo on the Web at: www.bravotv.com/Project_Runway
"He stayed very, very true to himself. He has also inspired his sisters," Little said, who also has another daughter, Jesslyn Scarlett, who lives in New York City and is an assistant to her brother.
Debra lived with her three children outside New York City until moving back to her home state of California just four years ago. While Austin has never lived in Nevada County, he does come back occasionally to visit his mother and sister.
"He really likes the Yuba River. He loves the history and the quaintness - the same reasons we all love it here," Debra said. She also said her son has a particular fondness for local historic icon Lola Montez, and when he discovered she spent several years in Nevada County, he sent his mother on a mission to find all the books written about her.
Debra said watching her son on the show Wednesday was exciting. She watched with Kelsea and some friends and said they drank champagne and made her son's favorite meal - chicken and dumplings.
Throughout the audition process and filming, she said her son has remained calm and confident. "I think I was probably more nervous than he was," she said.
---
When it's on
"Project Runway" next airs at 10 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 8, on Bravo. Episode reruns are also aired daily at various times. For more showtimes, visit Bravo on the Web at: www.bravotv.com/Project_Runway
