Interview: Robert Verdi Doesn’t Take Himself Seriously. You Shouldn’t Either.

We know what you’re thinking – the last thing the world needs right now is yet another reality show about some high-powered/famous/controversial publicist/agent/stylist/designer/matchmaker/real estate agent who isn’t half as fascinating/accomplished/sexy as they think they are.

Fortunately, when The Robert Verdi Show starring Robert Verdi debuts Wednesday night on Logo (AfterElton.com’s parent company), viewers are not going to be seeing that kind of reality show. Yes, Robert Verdi is an interior designer who did apartments for Sandra Bernhard, Hugh Jackman and Mariska Hargitay. Yes, he’s been the stylist for Desperate Housewives’ Eva Longoria and Ugly Betty’s Ana Ortiz.

And, yes, The Robert Verdi Show starring Robert Verdi is about his attempts to conquer the world as a trend-setter, lifestyle guru and tastemaker, but unlike most other similar reality shows, this one isn’t meant to be taken seriously.

That’s something made abundantly clear when the camera shows Robert about to enter a fancy Manhattan office to pitch one of his crazy schemes, and we hear him say in a very confident voice-over, “The name Robert Verdi opens doors.” Naturally, it turns out the door is locked, leaving a puzzled Robert standing on the outside looking in. That pretty much sums up the whole show.

AfterElton.com recently caught up with Verdi to discuss his design influences, his favorite clients and much more.

AfterElton.com: I got a very Kathy Griffin vibe off of the clip I saw, which I wasn't expecting. Is that accurate? Is there an influence there?
Robert Verdi: Kathy is a good friend of mine, which I don't know if a lot of people know that. There might be [a vibe], without any conscious intention, there might be some similarities just because we have similar personality traits, but I wouldn't say when you actually watch a full episode that it's like Kathy's.

She's a real standup comedian and I'm not, but I'm a person who has a particular or peculiar sense of humor, and that gets examined in the show. There are some similarities, but I see us as so different.

AE: Would you say you're similar in that you're both very outgoing with very outsized personalities?
RV: Yeah. We both have outsized personalities. We both have really strong opinions. I think we're both astute business people who see opportunities. I think we have similar methods of managing our businesses. But I think in terms of our aspirations and the way we act out publicly, it's different.

AE: What celebrity most needs the Robert Verdi touch?
RV: I don't know if any of them need it, but some of the icons I would like to work with are Cher. I would love to work with Cher. I would love to work with Lady Gaga because I think she is so free-spirited. She can engage in conversations, and you can do some really wonderful, fantastic, unexpected, and exciting things with her. I don't think she needs it, but I would enjoy touching her. [laughs] Not in an inappropriate way, however. [laughs]

AE: Which of the fashion shows out there do you admire and which do you think don't really offer anything? 
RV: Jonathan Adler comes on my show, he's actually a good friend of mine, as is Margaret Russell who's on that show [Top Design] as well. I enjoyed that show. I think it's hard to create the challenges necessary to unveil somebody who is a brilliant talent. I think it's really hard to do that. I'm not addicted to any of them.

The weird thing about me — or maybe it's not weird — I don't have a television at home. I watch TV on the internet, and I'm waiting for Netflix which I'm obsessed with too. It's much easier to control the need that I have, but I would say I do enjoy Project Runway.

Even though it's not necessarily a fashion show, I enjoy Tyra's show America's Next Top Model. When they actually photograph these girls, it's these wonderful, spirited, wild shoots. It's not just these girls standing there with their hands on their hips. It's actually taking them on a journey of "This is how crazy your shoot could be. You have to look like a tribal warrior and climb that tree." I think that's cool and fun and compelling to watch.