'Project Runway Junior' Matt Sarafa Goes FAKE at NY Fashion Week

Fans of "Project Runway" can see for themselves the stress and pain inflicted on its designer-contestants. They endure sleepless nights slaving over fashion details that are alternately praised or shredded by judges for everyone to see.

And yet Matt Sarafa could not be more thrilled to enlist in the fashionista's way of life. It's been his life goal since his first "Project Runway" binge with his mom at the tender age of seven.

Now 19, Sarafa is a designer making waves of his own. He's already a veteran of the first "Project Runway Junior" season, has his own fashion and jewelry lines, is studying Design Media Arts at UCLA, and hosts a YouTube channel that's approaching two millions views. (Check out his beauty tips there at MakeupByMatt.)

As if these achievements weren't enough to keep him busy, Sarafa will tick off his next goal this Saturday, February 11, when he debuts at New York Fashion Week. Unveiling his new collection, FAKE, Sarafa injects the runway with not only his youth and skill, but also his "badass" androgynous style.

"My design aesthetic is definitely edgy and urban with a touch of luxury," says Sarafa. "I love blurring the gender lines both in my designs [as well as] my everyday life with my personal style."

Sarafa's FAKE collection reflects a hot topic that keeps arising in headlines: truth versus phoniness. It's an extension of his original line, HOT ME$$, a term he used plenty during his "Project Runway Junior" stint.

"It was a playful way to poke fun at myself, and I eventually turned it into my debut fashion line," he says. His new collection applies some of that self-referential humor to the oft-bizarre digital world, where sometimes it seems absolutely nobody is shooting straight.

"The FAKE collection is inspired by social media and how everything you see on there isn't always reality," Sarafa says. "We are all guilty of only posting things that make our lives seem perfect, when that's hardly ever the case. I wanted to create a thought-provoking collection inspired by that idea, and that's how I came up with FAKE."

Getting Real

By contrast, Sarafa is himself honest and assertive, and proudly out. He owns his newfound role-model status and cultivates sincere relationships with his real-life and online communities -- many of whom directly interact with him. It's especially heartening to learn that such a young designer can encourage even younger queer kids to be themselves.

"Being a proud gay teen, I feel like I have a responsibility to inspire my young fans and supporters," he says. "Growing up, I didn't really have anybody young to look up to who was a positive gay role model, so I want to be that. Young kids who are struggling with their sexuality reach out to me privately through social media every day, and I love to feel like I'm making a difference."

Beyond his studies and fashion ventures, Sarafa also makes charity a priority, doing work with Life World, Children's Hospital L.A. and the Pink Lotus Foundation.

"I was raised in a household where giving back was very important," he says. "These past two years I've participated in the annual Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence charity fashion show supporting LGBT community-outreach programs, and I love it because this cause is so close to my heart."

The Sisters, who call themselves the "leading-edge order of queer nuns," are devoted to community service, outreach to those on the edges, and promoting human rights, respect for diversity and spiritual enlightenment.)

In terms of his businesses, Sarafa is elated that his devotion to fashion and style has opened so many doors. His new collection and forthcoming lines also may prove key to the future direction of haute couture and day-to-day fashions.

Asked about where style is headed, Sarafa replies somewhat cryptically: "Everything is digital now, and social media plays a huge role in everything, so I think the fashion industry is going to have to adapt to keep up with the times. My own style is constantly evolving, and there's no telling what's going to inspire me next."

But for now this college freshman is just trying to focus on his present agenda.

"I am so excited yet so nervous for my very first New York Fashion Week show. It's always been a dream to present a collection [there], and here I am at 19 years old turning that dream into a reality... I want people to know that I am just a regular teen who, with tons of hard work and perseverance, has been able to make my wildest dreams come true."

And though Sarafa may be a fashion prodigy, he's still human, saying, "All I can ask is that everything fits and nobody falls while walking the runway."