'Project Runway' Q&A: It's Curtains for Jerry Tam!

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ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: Were you scared after Tim reprimanded many of the designers for using tablecloths as fabric substitutes?
JERRY TAM: Yeah, as soon as he said that, he directly came to me and criticized me. I didn't! I used shower curtains, and I was still being reprimanded.

But you get that it's the same sort of thing, right? Like a shower curtain might as well be a tablecloth.
You can't see the garment as well as everyone else could, but the shower curtain came with these fasteners that I used down the back. They were amazing, so it did go beyond.

Do you get to keep the dress? Put it on display somewhere so people can see those fasteners?
Nope. All I do is get to take my humble pride and claim that I was on season 5 of Project Runway.

You mentioned your biggest fear was losing the first challenge. Was it actually so bad?
I went through every single emotion on that runway — disbelief, anxiety, and depression. Something no one person should experience at the same time. I was just waiting for the decision to fall upon me. I'm okay with it now because now I realize these challenges have certain agendas and whatnot, whether it was promoting certain personalities and designs.

Size up the competition for me. Which of the others do you think are standouts from the beginning?
Well, it's 50-50. Half of the people are home sewers and should be kicked off the show immediately. But there were some good folks, too. Wesley, who worked for Marc Jacobs and has a great aesthetic. Daniel, he really just blew me away with that cup dress. It was sheer genius. And I like Leanne; she has an aesthetic similar to mine, with a muted palate. Some other personalities are Keith and Kelli. They really love the industry so much in their heart. They should be given the opportunity to show during Fashion Week.

What about Stella? That gal's got some personality.
That's why I think she made it to the next round. I think the judges wanted to see more of her personality versus her design. There's a point during the episode where she almost quits and blames everything on the fabric. I saw everything being set up for her to walk off the show.

But she didn't get the boot! And honestly, her garment was hideous. It looked like a draped trash bag.
Exactly. I have an actual term for it: whipstitch garbage sack. She just whipped it together with a couple of stitches, and it's still a garbage sack.

Any parting words before your 15 minutes are over?
Always be well dressed, because you never know when the opportunity rises when you have to have a fashionable moment. Hopefully you'll be wearing something innovative, new, and fresh.