Garo Sparo: Designing for Club Kids, Project Runway, and Superstars

About this episode

Garo Sparo discusses his journey as a fashion designer and the influences that shaped his career in costume and couture.

Step into the glittering world of fashion, nightlife, and fearless creativity on Showing Off with Brian Newman & Angie Pontani as they welcome legendary designer and corsetry master Garo Sparo. Known for crafting jaw-dropping looks on Project Runway and for icons like Lady Gaga, Cardi B, Amanda Lepore, and Sabrina Carpenter, Garo shares the wild, inspiring journey that took him from a kid sewing outfits for stuffed animals to becoming one of New York’s most distinctive costume and fashion designers. With roots in a garment-making family and a lifelong obsession with dramatic silhouettes, Sparo reveals how early influences like Barbie dolls and classic Hollywood glam shaped his signature aesthetic. Brian and Angie dive into Garo’s formative years in New York’s legendary nightlife scene, where club culture, drag, and avant-garde performer Amanda Lepore became both his muse and collaborator. From designing iconic looks for nightlife personalities to launching boutiques in the East Village and later pivoting into bridal design after the cultural shift of the early 2000s, Sparo discusses the hustle, reinvention, and relentless creativity required to survive (and thrive) in fashion…

People in this episode

Hosts: Brian Newman, Angie Pontani

Guest: Garo Sparo

Topics covered

• fashion
• nightlife
• costume design
• creativity
• Project Runway
• club culture
• mentorship

Keywords

• Garo Sparo
• fashion design
• Project Runway
• New York nightlife
• costume design
• club kids
• bridal design
• mentorship
• creativity
• avant-garde

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Project Runway

Places: East Village, New York

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