Fil-Am Joey Galon reaches finals of US reality design show

Filipino-American designer Joey Galon is making waves in the international fashion scene after reaching the finals of a new TV reality design show in the United States, the "24-hour Catwalk." Galon, a pageant coach based in Las Vegas, will be one of the four designers to test the spotlight in the show where the participants are tasked to create a three-piece collection within only a day. Lifetime Television— which also ran the hit reality show “Project Runway"— has ordered 10 one-hour episodes of the unscripted fashion competition produced by New York-based Jane Street Entertainment. The show will be hosted by British model and TV personality Alexa Chung. The contestants’ works will be judged by designer Cynthia Rowley, publicist James LaForce, and New York Times fashion editor Derek Blasberg. 'Make it happen' Galon, whose parents hail from Visayas, said he is “terribly excited" about the project, especially after the “tedious" process he had to go through. “They asked me a lot of questions, there’s a lot of phone interviews. They had me create an audition video, had me describe myself… I had to put a video together and they cast me from there," he told TheFilAm.net’s Elton Lugay. Despite the difficult audition process, Galon said he would be disappointed if he did not make it. Galon did make it and he is now crossing his fingers for a good run in the competition. “I have something to give. I have years and years of fashion and creativity experience and I wanna bring that forward. So whatever it takes I’m gonna make it happen," TheFilAm.net quoted him as saying. In an interview with the Asian Journal, Galon said, "I hope that [the show], my networking and my determination to succeed will give me exposure to potential investors that will [put their money on] my talents." Galon said he wanted to take his fashion design company to the next level and mass produce his gowns worldwide. Pageant coach The designer, who has quietly worked with classic looks for 15 years, owns an atelier in Las Vegas, which he officially launched at the Miss USA pageant only last year. “I was given a booth to showcase my gowns at the Miss USA tradeshow. It was my first time to showcase my work," he told the Asian Journal. Before the launch, Galon enjoyed two successful decades in pageant coaching and events planning. The Filipino-American is known in the pageant circuit as part of organizing committees. He later put up “Runway 4 Life," which offers personal development, coaching, and wardrobe styling services to pageant contestants. Because of his dedication to the area—which began in the early 1980s—Galon was made official model coach of “Model Latina," a reality search for the next top Latina model. Proud Pinoy Galon is hoping that people would realize what he's capable of doing, whether he wins or loses in the competition to be broadcasted in fall. The Bay Area-raised designer also intends to make his kababayans proud by making it big like Hollywood-famous Monique Lhuillier and Josie Natori. “I was raised by parents that instilled the importance and values of my Pinoy roots. It has always been my focus, my passion, and my desire to learn my roots and most certainly embrace that side of who I am," he told Asian Journal. - VVP, GMA News