Daniel Vosovic

Daniel Vosovic
Born
Daniel Vosovic Jr.

(1981-03-25) March 25, 1981
Grand Rapids, Michigan
EducationFashion Institute of Technology
Occupationfashion designer
TelevisionProject Runway Season 2 (2nd)

Daniel Vosovic Jr. (born March 25, 1981) is an American fashion designer best known as the first runner-up in the second season of the American reality television series Project Runway.

Early life and education

Daniel Vosovic Jr., born to his parents Daniel Vosovic Sr. and Sharon, had grown up in Lowell from age thirteen onward.[1] There, he attended art-related classes of and graduated in 1999 from Lowell High School.[2] Then he attended Grand Rapids Community College, including its courses on clothing construction and fashion design, and then graduated from the Fashion Institute of Technology (F.I.T.; New York City) in 2005.[1][2] When he was an undergraduate, he competed at the Milano Studia la Moda (Milan).[3] Also, he worked at the Woodland Mall location of Banana Republic for several years.[4]

Vosovic is of Serbian and Slovak background. The father of his grandmother operated a tailoring company in Serbia. Vosovic also has a sister.[5]

Project Runway season 2 (2005–06)

Challenge wins

Daniel Vosovic Jr., a 24-year-old aspiring designer from Lowell, Michigan, first competed in the second season of the series.[2] He won five challenges before the Fashion Week. As Lorilee Craker of The Grand Rapids Press noted, "Vosovic was not an obvious frontrunner" initially because "[h]e wasn't flamboyant enough" to garner more airtime in post-production results. Nevertheless, his challenge wins and "clean and savvy clothing creations" made him a viewers' "favorite to win" the season.[1]

In the fourth episode,[a] where he made his first challenge win, Vosovic was the leader of his winning three-person team for the team lingerie challenge. In the challenge, a team must design three pieces under one "vision"; his team's "vision" was Lederhosen-based.[8] His second challenge win occurred in the sixth episode: creating "a day-to-evening ensemble for Banana Republic."[9] Required by the challenge, Vosovic partnered with Andrae Gonzalo,[4] who shared Vosovic's second challenge win.

Vosovic's third challenge win occurred in the eighth episode: creating photos of whatever inspired a contestant and then selecting only one for a dress to base upon. He selected a photo of a Japanese orchid as his inspiration.[10] He then won the fourth time a challenge where he was required to use "real plants and flowers",[4] earning him an immunity from elimination. The judges heavily panned a design he made in the tenth challenge of the season, but he was automatically safe due to the immunity.[11][b]

Vosovic's dress—"a gleaming navy gown [...] cut high up the thigh"—for the final pre-Fashion Week challenge in the eleventh episode—designing for the supermodel Iman—was criticized the series's judges, especially by Nina Garcia who deemed it "[s]afe and a bit boring". Nonetheless, he earned his fifth challenge win, securing him a finalist position.[12] Before Vosovic became a finalist, the series's very first winner Jay McCarroll found all the four remaining contestants, including Vosovic himself, "kind of boring".[13][c]

Fashion Week finale

For the Fashion Week, Vosovic envisioned his thirteen-piece[d] collection including "earth tones using brown floral lace prints" and a "white swing coat with brass buttons".[14] He named Oscar De La Renta and Narciso Rodriguez his inspirations due to their "calm and organized" runway shows.[1] To further enhance his collection, he featured wooden-handled handbags.[15]

For the more recently assigned thirteenth outfit—a "sleeveless shift dress in cream mohair"—to complete the collection, Vosovic chose an eliminated contestant Nick Verreos as his assistant.[15][d] The judges complimented him but criticized his whole collection as "too safe" and for resembling neither Japanese culture nor military as intended.[e] Vosovic became the first runner-up to the season's eventual winner Chloe Dao.[15][f]

Jen Chung of Gothamist noted how Vosovic's collection resembled the clothes sold at Banana Republic stores.[15] Tenley Woodman of Boston Herald factored his inexperience for becoming a runner-up, despite mentor Tim Gunn's "constructive criticism".[17] A Boston Globe critic found all three finalists' collections shown in the Fashion Week "disappointing" and further wrote that Vosovic's collection was "officewear [sic] meets a tassel."[18]

Post-Project Runway activities

After the taping of Project Runway concluded,[g] Vosovic established and then developed his own eponymous official website, such as uploading photos of his thirteen-piece collection, before the Fashion Show finale aired.[16] Onscreen on Project Runway, after the Fashion Week results, judge Michael Kors offered Vosovic a job.[15]

However, Vosovic reportedly turned it down and designed uniforms for a then-newer chain Nylo Hotels.[20] He created a twenty-outfit collection for the employees of Nylo: dresses for females; button-down dress or polo shirts underneath sophisticated blazers for males.[21][22] The collection was also sold publicly in gift shops of Nylo's locations. For Nylo's gift shops, he also designed other accessories, like "luggage, handbags, Dopp kits for men, robes, [and] jewelry".[21] He also designed sportswear for Nylo.[23]

Then Vosovic worked anonymously and low-profile for fashion companies. By 2014, he completed his two-year Fashion Incubator program, sponsored by the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA), to improve his business skills.[24]

Vosovic authored his photo book Fashion Inside Out, released on the week of October 26, 2008,[5] and published by Watson-Guptill Publications, about his coverage on the fashion industry. The book also contains his interviews with Project Runway host Heidi Klum, fashion designers Diane Von Furstenberg and Todd Oldham, and other notable fashion figures. It also contains a foreward by Project Runway mentor and designer Tim Gunn.[25]

Personal life

Vosovic is openly gay. As revealed in the series, he already came out to his family before Project Runway.[26][27] By late October 2008, Vosovic shared a "five-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment" in New York City with his four old schoolmates from his high school—two males, two females—"a baker, a math teacher, a graphic designer and a shoe designer."[5]

Bibliography

  • Vosovic, Daniel (2008). Fashion Inside Out: Daniel V's Guide to How Style Happens From Inspiration to Runway and Beyond. Photographs by Michael Turek. New York City: Crown Publishing Group. ISBN 978-0-8230-3217-4. LCCN 2008016862.

Notes

  1. ^ The first two episodes of the second series aired as the two-hour collaborated premiere on December 7, 2005.[6][7]
  2. ^ Nick Verreos was eliminated in the tenth episode, placing him fifth.[11]
  3. ^ This would include the fourth-place contestant Kara Janx. Nonetheless, Jay McCarroll enjoyed Santino Rice's "arrogant and funny" personality and somewhat "weird" works for being the only works of the season with "a clear point of view."[13]
  4. ^ a b For the Fashion Week finale, the finalists—Vosovic, Chloe Dao, and Santino Rice—were assigned to construct twelve outfits for their own collections within five months after the second season's pre-finale taping on their own $8,000 budget. Later, they were assigned the final challenge of the season: with an assistance from an eliminated contestant of a finalist's choosing, build a thirteenth outfit to finish the collection within two days before the Fashion Week show on their own additional $250 budget.[28]
  5. ^ According to Vosovic, the ninety percent of the judges' feedback on Vosovic's collection were positive, but most of an hour of original judging scenes was edited out.[16]
  6. ^ Santino Rice became the second runner-up when Rice was eliminated first before Vosovic and Chloe Dao.[15]
  7. ^ The Fashion Show, i.e. the finale, was filmed on February 10, 2006.[19]

References

  1. ^ a b c d Craker, Lorilee (February 15, 2006). "Reality TV makes him style star". The Grand Rapids Press. Grand Rapids, Michigan. p. A1. NewsBank 10FD2B00DE11AD78.
  2. ^ a b c Craker, Lorilee (December 4, 2005). "Local designer to compete on Project Runway". The Grand Rapids Press. p. G3. NewsBank 10E57724D6DE33C8.
  3. ^ McFarland, Melanie (February 27, 2006). "On Pins and Needles – Are You in or 'Owt'?". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. p. D1. NewsBank 110108E793DE6530.
  4. ^ a b c "Dressed for success". The Grand Rapids Press. February 15, 2006. p. A1. NewsBank 10FD2B0083CCABE8.
  5. ^ a b c Vosovic, Daniel (October 26, 2008). "Project Runway winner Daniel Vosovic's home is like a truly real reality show". Chicago Tribune (Interview). Archived from the original on May 5, 2016. Retrieved March 15, 2026.
  6. ^ Balta, Victor (December 5, 2005). "Fashion reality TV show focuses on real talent". The Daily Herald. Everett, Washington. NewsBank 115E23BED9B544B0. Two of the initial 16 contestants will be gone by the end of the first hour, and a third will say goodbye by the end of the night.
  7. ^ "Area roots on Runway". The Grand Rapids Press. Grand Rapids, Michigan. December 8, 2005. Weekend section, p. 2. NewsBank 10E672831039ABD8.
  8. ^ "Vosovic wows Runway". The Grand Rapids Press. Grand Rapids, Michigan. December 22, 2005. Weekend section, p. 2. NewsBank 10EB09B442D956F0.
  9. ^ "On the Runway". The Grand Rapids Press. January 12, 2006. Weekend section, p. 2. NewsBank 10F2052153AB1090. The source does not mention Andrae Gonzalo as part of Vosovic's duo team for the sixth challenge of the second season.
  10. ^ "Project Runway update". The Grand Rapids Press. January 26, 2006. Weekend section, p. 2. NewsBank 10F69DC9D99FE7F0.
  11. ^ a b "The final four". The Grand Rapids Press. Grand Rapids, Michigan. February 9, 2006. Weekend section, p. 2. NewsBank 10FB3CCDC2F18A40.
  12. ^ Craker, Lorilee (February 16, 2006). "Still at it – Lowell designer makes it to finale". The Grand Rapids Press. Weekend section, p. 23. NewsBank 10FD896770395E10.
  13. ^ a b White, Tanika (February 12, 2006). "Off the Runway and down to earth". The Baltimore Sun. p. 3E. NewsBank 10FD77091A2C0AF0.
  14. ^ Long, Colleen (February 10, 2006). "Project Runway takes off at New York Fashion Week". Associated Press. NewsBank 110051C1DA780BF8.
  15. ^ a b c d e f Chung, Jen (March 9, 2006). "Does Anyone Sew Around Here?". Gothamist. NewsBank 186F380159B05EC8. Designers back to the runway, and Heidi tells Santino auf wiedersehn first—and he feels bad.
  16. ^ a b Craker, Lorilee (March 14, 2006). "Designer Vosovic gets attention despite loss". The Grand Rapids Press. p. E1. NewsBank 110611B0DA9C2240.
  17. ^ Woodman, Tenley (March 9, 2006). "Dao sews up victory on Project Runway". Boston Herald. The Edge section, p. 47. NewsBank 1305F292069C8528.
  18. ^ "Dao Wins Runway". Boston Globe. March 9, 2006. p. C16. ISSN 0743-1791. ProQuest 404997298.
  19. ^ Sewing, Joy (March 10, 2006). "Chloe Couture – From Runway, to her way". Houston Chronicle. p. A-1. NewsBank 11048A4085306A38.
  20. ^ Conlin, Jennifer (August 6, 2006). "In Transit: One-Upmanship As Designers Restyle Hotel Uniforms". The New York Times. Travel section (#5/#TR), p. 2. ISSN 0362-4331. ProQuest 1942283702 (print); ProQuest 2225769551 (online).
  21. ^ a b "Vosovic Making It Work". Grand Rapids Magazine. October 2007. pp. 72–77. Archived from the original on December 24, 2007. Retrieved March 21, 2026.
  22. ^ "Design of the Times". Grand Rapids Business Journal. December 17, 2007. News section. NewsBank 1420010439102B68.
  23. ^ White, Erin (November 23, 2008). "Read It: Fashion Inside Out by Daniel Vosovic". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Fort Worth, Texas. p. F8. NewsBank 1249C9DE9029A260.
  24. ^ Givhan, Robin (July 24, 2014). "Not Quite Making It Work". The Washington Post. p. C-1. ISSN 0190-8286. ProQuest 1547800113 (print), ProQuest 1548156222 (online). Also republished by Star-Courier (Kewanee, Illinois), July 26, 2014, p. B12: NewsBank 14F50A654A1CFD40
  25. ^ "Style briefs: 10-24-08 – Snuggle Up". The Kansas City Star. Kansas City, Missouri. October 24, 2008. p. E12. NewsBank 1240672FDFC5F4F8.
  26. ^ Craker, Lorilee (March 2, 2006). "Last wrinkle – Finalists thrown another chore in first half of show's finale". The Grand Rapids Press. Grand Rapids, Michigan. Weekend section, p. 24. NewsBank 1102170286551BE8.
  27. ^ Urban, Robert (March 9, 2006). "Project Runway's Exciting Second Season Comes to a Close". AfterElton. Archived from the original on December 26, 2007. Retrieved December 16, 2007.
  28. ^ "Modest designs on the future". Tampa Bay Times. March 10, 2006. Arts and Entertainment section. NewsBank 131DFC4E6FC5BC80.

Further reading

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