Out Designer Kara Laricks Talks 'Fashion Star,' Love and More: Interview

NBC's new reality series Fashion Star premieres Tuesday, March 13, and it's not to be missed! 

Besides featuring designers who create clothes for everyone, not just supermodels and Hollywood stars, there's one designer who's got something very different to offer. Among the line-up of competitors is out designer Kara Laricks, who specializes in androgynous clothing for men and women. 

NBC's new reality series Fashion Star premieres Tuesday, March 13, and it's not to be missed! 

Besides featuring designers who create clothes for everyone, not just supermodels and Hollywood stars, there's one designer who's got something very different to offer. Among the line-up of competitors is out designer Kara Laricks, who specializes in androgynous clothing for men and women. 

Kara, a former 4th grade teacher from Kansas, decided to follow her dream and pursue a career in fashion. With support and ecouragement from her girlfriend, and of course a great design talent, Kara landed a spot on Fashion Star, and the rest is history. 

Executive producer and host of the show Elle Macpherson joins celebrity mentors Jessica Simpson, Nicole Richie and John Varvatos for the series that will give 14 unknown designers a chance to win a multi-million dollar prize to launch their collections in three of America’s largest retailers: Macy’s, H&M and Saks Fifth Avenue.

We spoke with Kara about fashion, coming out, being a part of a new kind of fashion competition, looking up to Ellen DeGeneres and so much more. Read the interview below, and be sure to watch Kara on Fashion Star, which premieres March 13 on NBC.

The Fashion Star premiere is quickly approaching! Are you excited? Nervous?

I’m so excited. And, you know, as it gets closer and closer with each day I just still can not believe that I’ve been a part of this and I’m just absolutely thrilled. I cannot wait. I’m a little bit nervous because, of course, I haven’t seen the shows with editing or anything like that, and although I try to stay on the up-and-up, and not add any drama to the show, you just never know. So I’m a little bit nervous.

What went through your head when you discovered what the format of the show would be, the mentors, etc...

Well, I was so thrilled when I heard the format of the show, because, unlike other fashion shows that are out there, Fashion Star allows us as designers to get in front of three buyers, and not just any buyers, but three of the biggest retailers in the United States. So for any designer that is a huge, a huge coup to actually be able to show your pieces to large retailers and have them buy. Not only that, but to have the chance, week after week, to have their attention and to be able to show something over and over and over. That’s unheard of and never been done before. It’s so exciting.

The $6 million deal final prize to get a designer's line started is huge.

I have to admit that going into the show, I really said to myself, “Take it one step at a time. Keep your head down, really focus on what you need to do, focus on your design and building your brand.” I really tried not to think about creating a capsule collection for H&M, Macy’s and Saks Fifth Avenue. I just said to myself, “One step at a time,” because that is beyond a dream come true - to create a capsule collection for all three of those retailers. That’s really an incredible opportunity.

No kidding. Can you tell me about leaving your teaching profession to go into the crazy world of fashion?

I was a fourth grade teacher for 10 years and I loved it. I really did love my profession. The one thing that was kind of holding me back was that I really felt like I couldn’t be exactly who I was. It was difficult to completely be out as a teacher. I loved my job. I didn’t want to lose it. I also always had this passion for design. I grew up in Kansas and my mom always told me “you need to get a nice, safe career,” and teaching was it for me.

But about halfway through my teaching career, I just thought, “You know, I’m not necessarily getting any younger.” So I kind of decided at that 10-year mark that was when I was going to leave the teaching career behind, and I was really going to go for it with fashion design. I went back to school at the Academy of Art and learned how to design and drape and sew. All of that from scratch. To think about the first day entering into design school - and not even knowing how to thread a sewing machine - all the way to this point of being able to talk to you today, it’s a whirlwind and it’s really amazing that it happened.

That’s crazy that you learned when you went to school! The set-up of Fashion Star includes, like you said, having a chance each week to sell to the buyers, adding the business side of the fashion industry. Was that helpful or frightening?

Adding the business side to fashion is something that as an independent designer I’ve had to do from the get-go. You know, living in the Lower East Side of New York, it is tough to afford being able to live, never mind run your business as well. And so I’ve been kind of a one-woman show for a while. Making sure that I’ve done my business cards and designed my website and even produced my own accessories and sell in a little market in SoHo. So I know how important the business side is. When I heard that that was a big component in Fashion Star, I was like, “Yes. This is amazing.” You have to admit no matter how much of an artist you may be, you have to have the business side as a fashion designer in order to support your art as a fashion designer. So when I heard that this show really combined both of those elements, I just thought, “If ever there’s a chance to take on reality TV show, it’s now.” It’s now for this one because it’s real life. It’s really what you have to consider if you’re going to make it in this industry.

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