Zamora back at it

Kini Zamora might be expected to take a few days off to recover from the grueling "Project Runway" stint that saw him finish in third place Oct. 23. But no, the designer noted on the show for his full-speed-ahead work ethic plunged back into sewing right away, logging 15-hour days in his "workshop" set up in his parents’ Kapolei garage.

"There have never been cars in here," he said, continuing to work through part of our interview. The deadline is looming for his and business partner Dean "Dinko" Satta’s inaugural collection debut during Hawai’i Fashion Month: The free fashion event will take place at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 7 at the Hawai’i Convention Center, following a 6 p.m. resort preview fashion show presented by Neiman Marcus.

Zamora also will be among the Honolulu Community College fashion alumni participating in "Full-Circle: A Dining and Fashion Experience," beginning 5:30 p.m. Nov. 19 at Stage restaurant. The event is a fundraiser for the school’s fashion technology program and fashion technology scholarship fund. Also participating will be Ari South and Danene Lunn of Manuheali’i.

Zamora, 30, said he keeps in touch by text with several of his competitors on Season 13 of the Lifetime TV fashion design competition. After the show ended, "they all kind of relaxed and took a little break. I couldn’t, because this is my job," he said. "The first thing when I came back, I needed money, because six weeks is a long time to be away from the business."

When asked who among his competitors is likely to be most successful, he had no problem answering: "Me. Not to sound arrogant or anything, but I want it to be me. I see Amanda (Valentine) going far because she has such a unique vision. And Korina (Emmerich). Even though her attitude stinks, I feel that her design aesthetic is very New York, sophisticated and chic."

His favorite runway collection was that of Fade Zu Grau, one of the "decoy" designers who showed during Fashion Week to divert attention from the four finalists.

"He had his own style of design that was very European. I think that’s what made him seem most unique," Zamora said.

Sean Kelly may have won the season, but even before entering the TV showcase, Zamora set himself up to be a winner over the long haul. The spring/summer 2015 collection he will be showing Nov. 7 builds on the black-and-white collection he showed during the "Project Runway" finale.

"We just love black and white, and for our first collection together, we wanted to do what we love," Satta said.

The two have been working together for three years, since meeting on a magazine set on which Satta was working as a photographer. Satta had a T-shirt line called WaRu, and they teamed up to create separate men’s and women’s lines under the name KiRu. This will be their first contemporary women’s ready-to-wear collection under the name KINIandDINKO, and the two will be offering Hawaiian-print apparel from their KD Hawaii line in a pop-up shop coinciding with their show next week.

The two still cut and sew every garment themselves and dream of one day being able to afford having a retail store, workspace and extra hands.

Living in Hawaii, Zamora is well aware of the struggle most people have in making ends meet, so he is sensitive to the plight of those who want to look stylish while still making the rent and putting food on the table. Thus a black-and-white wardrobe also made sense to him from an economical perspective.

"They are timeless colors, and these are timeless pieces that people can wear for a long time," Zamora said. "I’m not just thinking of one season, but pieces that can be carried over multiple collections and mixed and matched with future collections."

Satta brings a valued second opinion, and Zamora now admits he should have listened to his partner more while working on his "Project Runway" finale collection. "He kept saying I didn’t have enough sexiness," Zamora said.

Of course, considering all the feedback he’s received in New York as well, he’s listening now, saying, "Sex sells, but for us it’s in a classy way."

Being able to keep his eye on the big picture is what propelled Zamora to keep trying out for "Project Runway" over the course of five rejections. Season 13 marked his sixth audition, and he said that even if he hadn’t made it on this time, he would have kept trying or forever been left with the regret of "what if."

"I wanted people to see what I could do, and to see that there is talent in Hawaii and that talent can come out of a garage. It’s not about where you are or how lavish your studio is. Talent can come from anywhere, and I’m glad the world got to see that," Zamora said.

"I went in thinking this will help me in the future, and now people all around the world know who I am. I’m getting requests for wedding gowns all over the world. The support from everyone has been really positive, and it’s been rewarding to know people have been rooting for me."

Zamora’s showing is the second time a Hawaii designer has made it into the top three. Ari (then competing as Andy) South reached the top three in Season 8, finishing behind winner Gretchen Jones and Mondo Guerra.

Another Hawaii designer and HCC alumnus, Jay Sario, made it into the top four in Season 7. Sario is on television again, competing in "Project Runway All-Stars" Season 4, premiering Thursday.

One of Zamora’s teachers, Joy Nagaue, said: "I truly thought that Kini would be HCC’s first winner on ‘Project Runway.’ Although he was not, we are still very proud of him, his impeccable work, his perseverance and how far he has gone.

"But as I talked to his mother, I realize that we are really proud of the person that he is, the person he always was … genuine and good.

"We are proud of the way he represented not only HCC, but Hawaii as well. My present students have been inspired by Kini and have noted his ability to take criticism and rebound back with a better product each time."

Zamora credits his performance to maturity.

"The first couple of times I auditioned, I wasn’t ready. This time, I knew I was ready,"he said.

Zamora had been sewing since the age of 10, taught by his aunt Delilah Patoc, and made the commitment to fashion when he realized "I didn’t want to work for anyone anymore. Now I wake up wanting to do this."

He honed his skills at HCC, learning draping and pattern making. While his fellow classmates put a required six garments on the runway during the 2005 senior show, Zamora created a 60-piece collection.

His prowess became a running commentary on "Project Runway" as Zamora often finished his pieces while most of the other designers will still puzzling over their designs.

"The reason I finished fast was because I wanted to get Tim’s (Gunn) opinion," he said, referring to the show’s resident mentor.

Zamora left HCC to study at New York’s Fashion Institute of Technology but stayed only a year after finding the Hawaii college had already given him all the technical skills he needed.

Despite his speed at sewing, Zamora was slow to get noticed on the show, ending early challenges safely in the middle of the pack before forcing the judges to take notice with Episode 4’s suit challenge.

During Kini Zamora Day that took place at HCC on Oct. 16, he told fans that "I was tired of just being safe. I really wanted to push myself. I didn’t care whether I was on the top or bottom; I just wanted to get feedback from the judges."

Converting a men’s suit into a structured dress with cutouts, judges Nina Garcia, Zac Posen and Heidi Klum were impressed. But they were torn between his structured look and Valentine’s boho maxi. In the end, Valentine, a repeat contestant from Season 11, was deemed the winner.

Fans of the show thought that Zamora should have been the victor. In the "Rate the Runway" section on the show’s website, Valentine’s look won a low 2.7 rating versus Zamora’s 4.32. That set up another of the season’s threads, that Zamora — whose humility and affable manner quickly made him a fan favorite — was robbed.

That sentiment continued building over subsequent weeks as Zamora continued to make the top two and three, never to hit the top spot. In Episode 6 he was robbed for real when, teamed with Kelly, who was working slowly on a pair of pants, Zamora felt compelled to create a top for Kelly’s look. The top is what clinched the win — for Kelly, who did not tell the judges that Zamora created the top.

As with other incidents, Zamora took it in stride, harboring no anger or resentment.

"I don’t feel bad about it at all. He apologized right away. The thing is, we were partners so we were going to be judged together, and he had immunity, so if we lost, I would have been the one going home."

Zamora’s first of three wins came with Episode 8’s "rainway" challenge for which he came up with an umbrella dress.

Like Hawaii’s contestants before him, Zamora didn’t seem to talk much on the show, but he said that wasn’t the case in reality.

"I actually talked a lot," he said of being on set 18 hours a day and being pulled aside for hourlong interviews several times during the workday. "It’s just that if you’re not talking trash, they don’t want that."

Zamora makes his final appearance during the reunion episode Thursday, but given his laid-back manner, don’t expect any fireworks over Kelly’s victory.

The real question is, Did Glover and Emmerich make up? Emmerich was cast as the villain throughout because in her mind she is more talented than everyone else. She heaped most of her scorn on Glover, who was ousted early but brought back with the show’s one-time "Tim Gunn save."

Eventually the battle came down to Glover and Emmerich, and Emmerich was sent home, which she did not take well.

The series started filming in late July and wrapped during New York Fashion Week in early September. Just as Zamora was able to keep mum on the show’s result before the finale aired, he’s not saying what happens between the two designers.

Like a true show-biz trouper, he said, "Watch and find out."