"Project Runway"'s Daniel Feld: Auf'd but in love

Project Runway once again brought us the gays this season with seven out of the eight male designers identifying as gay or bisexual. Prior to this week, we'd already lost a couple of guys from Team Gay, and this last Wednesday we lost one more. Daniel Feld was auf'd on what very well might have been the gayest challenge ever on an already incredibly gay show when the designers had to create outfits for various New York drag queens. Unfortunately, Daniel's Spanish-inspired dress failed to wow the judges and Heidi sent him packing.

What viewers didn't know, and even the cameras failed to see, was that Daniel and fellow contestant Wesley Nault had started a romance while on the show. Nault was eliminated after the second challenge, but his absence continued to affect Daniel. We talked to Daniel about his experiences on the show, his relationship with Nault and what Kenley was laughing at.

AfterElton.com: Congratulations on making it on the show! Thanks so much for talking to us.
Daniel Feld: Aww! Thank you so much. That's so kind.

AE: What was the experience like for you? Was it what you expected?
DF: I'm really glad I did it. It was a good experience. I mean, looking back now I wish I could have done things differently, but I really don't regret anything.

AE: That's always good. So what was your favorite challenge?
DF: My favorite challenge, I would probably, say was the cocktail dress. [Laughs] Not. [Laughs] Probably the first one. I had a lot more motivation.

AE: The grocery store one?
DF: Yeah, that was probably my favorite.

Grocery Store challenge, Cocktail Dress challenge, Olympic challenge

AE: What was your least favorite challenge?
DF: I think the Olympic challenge was my least favorite.

AE: Is there anyone still on the show that you're especially surprised to see there?
DF: No, I really wish everyone the best of luck. Everyone definitely has their own view.

AE: Who do you feel went home too soon?
DF: I feel Wesley went home too soon, definitely. I don't think he got to shine and show what he could do.

AE: After Wesley [Nault] was eliminated in the second challenge, we found out through an interview that you and he had started a romance while on the show. You guys went to great pains to hide that from the cameras. What were your reasons for that?
DF: We just wanted things to be private. You know, neither of us had planned on meeting one another. It just kind of happened, chemistry-wise, and we wanted to keep it private.

AE: Wesley has said he feels he allowed himself to be distracted by the new romance and that may have been part of the reason he was eliminated so quickly. Did you feel it distracted you at all?
DF: What did he say?

AE: He said something to the effect that maybe he allowed your relationship to distract him a little bit. He said he couldn't stop thinking about you so he maybe wasn't giving the projects as much attention as he should have.
DF: Yeah, after he was eliminated I guess I was constantly thinking about him, too. I guess a lot of my motivation died out [after] that. I was definitely a little sad after he left. In fact, with the third challenge, the one right after he left, I really wanted to win so I could get immunity and exchange it with him to bring him back for a challenge. I did say that in interviews but I guess they didn't show it.

AE: So it really did affect you after he was eliminated?
DF: It did. I was worried about him the whole time. He's so sensitive inside. I was just worried about him. I just felt broken-hearted for him.

Wesley Nault

AE: Are you guys still dating?
DF: Yeah, we are. We really couldn't be happier. Everything's going really well. He's just the biggest sweetheart. I'm really lucky.

AE: You also struggled with a few of the challenges and the judges often felt you were missing the point, especially with the Olympic challenge and the Drag Queen challenge. Did you have difficulty with the concepts at times? DF: I think it was definitely a hard thing for me to balance, especially with the Drag Queen challenge. I had to collaborate with Anita Greenkard. In the consultation, she didn't want anything flashy or with sequins. I originally wanted to do lame' with plastic crystal encrusted and embroidery with fringe, but I had to go with what she likes. She liked more matte fabrics. She said she liked Versace and Oscar de la Renta, so she wasn't in as elaborate or costume-y of a drag queen as the other ones. I would have liked her to be, but I guess it was my error because I wanted to make her happy. I felt that was more important since it was her outfit to perform in.