Interview by Lori Bizzoco. Written by Carly Horowitz
You may have seen fashion designer Matt Sarafa recently on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills (RHOBH) alongside his godmother, Kyle Richards. However, Sarafa is no newcomer to reality television. He got his start by competing on Lifetime’s Project Runway Threads and then went on to compete in Project Runway Junior. Sarafa is also one of the youngest designers to show at both New York and Paris Fashion Week. In our exclusive celebrity interview, Sarafa opens up about the success of his clothing line, “FAKE” and what he has in store for the future.
Celebrity interview with fashion designer and beauty guru Matt Sarafa
Gaining notoriety on reality TV and then skyrocketing to success with a fashion line is no doubt a major accomplishment for a 20-year-old college student.”It has been such a crazy, but amazing journey, and I am so grateful for it,” Sarafa said.
Things changed for Sarafa’s “FAKE” design line when his beautiful faux fur coats were featured on an episode of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. The combination of his high-end and ready-to-wear street fashion captured the public’s attention so fast that the line sold out immediately. “I was so beyond shocked,” said Sarafa. “I would never in a million years have expected the crazy amount of success after Real Housewives … I wasn’t expecting anything crazy, but within 24 hours after The Real Housewives episode, I had sold enough faux fur to put me through college for all four years.” The red coat, which our staff completely loves and Kylie wore on the show, was his biggest seller. If you haven’t seen this episode of RHOBH or don’t get BravoTV, you could always go over to BuyTVInternetPhone and see if they have some cable television options that may work within your budget.
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For those who missed the episode, the question we really want to know is what inspired Sarafa’s ingenious faux fur designs? He explained that he’s on the red carpet all the time now that he’s in the limelight, 
and when he went shopping to find faux fur to wear to those events, he discovered that the options were all “so tacky and so cheap” looking. He thought, “I’m a fashion designer, so why don’t I try to solve this problem?” And solve it he did. “I created these furs that look and feel real, and they give you that same super luxurious feeling of real fur, but without any of the downside,” he said. And, for those who think his designs may be a little over-the-top, Sarafa added, “That’s just who I am as a person, so that’s what I try to translate into my designs.”
Over-the-top or not, Sarafa’s “FAKE” designs are now worn by a diverse demographic. Prior to when his episode of RHOBH aired, the designer’s primary customers were much younger, and many of them were his social media fans. Now, the demographic for Sarafa’s coats includes people of any age, size, or location. “It’s for the bad bitches of the world, who don’t care about what other people think, who want to wear exactly what they want to wear, and who really are just true to themselves.” As a result, he’s excited to expand his line in the future with new colors, new styles, and new designs.
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Speaking of the future, we got the inside scoop on Sarafa’s upcoming plans. In addition to completing classes full-time at UCLA, he’s working on a new runway show, which he hopes will be featured at either L.A. or New York Fashion Week next season. “I’m just trying to balance everything,” he said. “It’s very hectic, but I do my best.” When asked how he can possibly do all that he does, he said, “The thing with me is that if I care about something enough, I will do everything in my power to get everything that I need to done. I’m a very hard worker, and I’m great at deciding what needs to get done at what time, so I’ve been powering through.”
So, want to know what it takes to break into the fashion business like Sarafa did? The designer revealed a valuable tip, so listen up. He said, “If you are looking to get into this industry, the first thing you should know is that it’s very cut-throat, and it’s very difficult … But, if you have a real genuine passion for fashion, that will get you pretty far.” He added, “Just keep going, and don’t let anybody tell you that you can’t … You just have to keep going no matter what gets in your way.”
You can keep up with Matt and his journey by following him on Instagram @mattsarafa and check out his makeup videos on YouTube. To purchase Matt’s products, visit mattsarafa.com or Kyle Richards’ boutique stores, Kyle by Alene Too, in Beverly Hills, New York City, Palm Beach, or Boca Raton!
