If you love Project Runway and designers, you’ll probably appreciate Season 3 winner Jeffrey Sebelia and his work. What is he doing these days? Of course, he has a new job as chief designer for a company called Fluxus.
If you don’t remember Sebelia, he was the tall, punk-looking guy with tattoos around his neck. Sebelia was selected to compete as one of four finalists with the opportunity to show his collections at Fashion Week, where he was also the winner. While on the show, he had been portrayed as the “villain” of the third season, known for his explicit language and for making contestant Angela Keslar’s mother cry. Of course, other contestants like Alison Kelly disputed this saying that Sebelia was much better than the edition of the program indicated.
Sebalia was also featured on the show for talking about her last years of drug addiction, suicide attempts, and her redemption. During the show, he constantly played pranks on the other contestants, sometimes being an arrogant winner and a sore loser. In the final episode, his red dress patterned with little white apples stole the show. His collection was the most accomplished and varied in range. Before appearing on the show, he was running his own small but modestly successful label called Cosa Nostra. He was also selling to a handful of celebrities, including Dave Navarro and Gwen Stefani. Sebalia’s friend Santino Rice from Season 2 suggests that Sebalia audition for the show.
Since the show, Sebalia’s designs for Flexus have stayed true to form, leaning on the punk side but also avant-garde. The fabrics are crisp and yet comfortable. Although amazing, the collection stays on the affordable side ranging from $60 to $200 and for this price you can get everything from sheer striped tees and tanks to batwing dresses and cozy caplets.
Fluxus, spelled fLuXuS, was founded by Martin Paquette. The store company was founded in 2007 and its name and company are said to stem from an art movement that blurs the lines between genders. The art movement has been primarily influenced by the work of John Cage and Marcel DuChamp and heavily influenced by Yoko Ono, Beck and Ben. FLuXus is said to represent the combination and connection of all aspects of art and life, intermingling different philosophies and cultures. There is life, there is art and fashion is in between.
The company has three locations that include Larchmont Village, Brentwood, and Orange County. Although the company is known for its fabrics, bringing in Sebelia has not only given the company a financial boost, but also a new image of its own. The designer has helped the company to expand his ideas. The Spring 2010 line is the first official fLuXus by Sebelia collection, where you’ll find dark, bold yet soft pieces alongside 1950s American sportswear and military-inspired dresses.
The entire line of fLuXus clothing is designed and manufactured in Los Angeles. Owner Martin Paquette said he doesn’t believe in outsourcing production due to the fact that if he were to return a product, by the time he got it back, the fashion trend would be over. The company states: “Everything in our Los Angeles infrastructure is vertically integrated, from conceptualization and manufacturing to retail. FLuXus is committed to helping and working with local communities, as well as facilitating social progress in the workplace.” work to create a revolution in the garment industry.
