It’s 8 a.m. Saturday in Los Angeles, and Bishum Cromartie has postponed a phone interview due to an emergency fitting for Oscar-winning actress Davine Joy Randolph.
“Can I call you when you’re done?” the fashion designer texted me.
When I reached him later that night, he was exhausted and joked that he shouldn’t talk to reporters in his state.
I’m glad he did that.
I’ve known Bishme Rajiv Patrick Cromartie for over 10 years, so I thought I knew almost everything about him.
However, he surprised me with our recent conversation and revealed things about himself that I didn’t know.
He opened up about being part of the LGBTQIA+ community and how it intersects with his Blackness. He also talked about politics. Previously, our conversations were often about avant-garde silhouettes, celebrity fittings, and his latest accolades.
He made it clear that he wanted to move beyond personalized design.
“I’ve dressed celebrities many times in my life, so I’d like to be a creative director or costume designer for a TV show,” he said, adding that it could be anything from drama to fantasy. “I’d love to talk to the writers. I’d love to design a ballet costume just to see how the fabric moves.”
He also spoke about the heartbreak he experienced when he won Project Runway All Stars last year, becoming the first Maryland winner since current host Christian Siriano. The previous year, his sister Chimera Faye Diddley died of cancer.
“I almost didn’t know how to adjust to everything happening at once. I didn’t want to be sad, but I wanted to truly live out this feeling.”
Cromartie sees a therapist and encourages other creators to see one as well. During fashion week this year, he released a YouTube video featuring models talking about grief.
Below are details of a conversation I had with Cromartie before his appearance on Wednesday at the Baltimore Museum of Industry’s new “Labor + Innovation” speaker series. Answers have been condensed for space and brevity.
Bishme Cromartie, a contestant on season 20 of Bravo’s “Project Runway All Stars.” (Courtesy of Bravo)
What does the future hold for Bishum Cromartie as a brand?
My bucket list consists of leveraging the showroom space to gather what the next decade of Bishum Cromartie and the brand could look like. I need balance, but I’m also ready for the next stage. I’m learning how to build a team to sell and get buyers. We want to reposition, rebrand, and reimagine.
I’ve already done everything I wanted (or thought) to accomplish. That’s very scary.
where do you live?
I’m still in Los Angeles. But I want to know what it’s like to live in Paris. I’ve been here for 4 years and there have been some changes. I moved here a week before COVID-19. I was so shocked. Before that, I was flying (to Los Angeles) for seven years, especially during awards season. I wanted to make the decision to quit. My intention was to make clothes, but instead I ended up making masks.
What is it about Baltimore that produces so much Black excellence?
I think Baltimore has a unique aura. When you’re in a place where we are very insightful, very loving people and we have imagination out of this world. Create the resource if it does not exist. I feel this tenacity. If you’re not from Baltimore, you won’t understand the hunger and the fight to make your dreams come true. Baltimore makes you aware of yourself and makes you realize that you don’t need much to get started. Just do it.
What keeps you going?
something unknown. My life has been full of amazing things. Everything I got, I just did it when the moment came and presented itself. I’m really interested in the unknown world right now, and I get inspiration from it.
Bishme Cromartie, a contestant on season 20 of Bravo’s “Project Runway All Stars,” works on a design in the episode “Seeing Red.” (Courtesy of Bravo)
If you weren’t designing, what would you do?
Many things will happen. I love cooking and want to be a chef. I think the art of cooking is truly amazing. Anything that touches my hands, except the medical field. The color red is beautiful, but blood makes me weak. It’s daunting.
Would you like to vote? And who will you vote for?
Yes, that’s right. Sitting here, it makes me realize that I have the power to make the right choices about our next president. After all, it’s time to use our voices to make the changes we want. You’ve seen things unravel. Everyone wants truth over entertainment. Everyone is just fed up. And they want to make sure that the president they choose is the right person. I know who I want to beat. I keep saying “President Harris.” I’ve been expressing it for her. It will be a lot of fun to see something new and the changes that occur. I remember when Obama was elected. It pushed me to drive more and aim higher.
Are you interested in how political women dress?
I still want to dress Michelle Obama. That would melt my heart. “President Harris” is probably the highlight. You can already see the gown I will make. That would be outrageous. It’s literally on my to-do list.
Why is it important for Black LGBTQ+ youth to have representation?
It’s important to me that the LGBTQ community has representation. There’s a wide range of what that is. The media portrays a single, very subtle aspect of what it is like. In my case, I’m not the flashiest or the most masculine, but I’m in tune with both sides of myself. And for me, I feel that playing with and being in my duality is an ability to show that there is a different range of community. You can be who you are and you don’t have to use that as a title. It’s great to see not only LGBTQ representation, but Black LGBTQ representation as well. There’s not a lot of expression there. I come from a family of manly men. I’ve never had anything weird happen or anyone get mad at me because I’m gay. It’s pretty great that it exists in my community, but I know many others aren’t as lucky as they are to have it. It’s our responsibility to show that there isn’t just one way for one type of person in our community.
What food in Baltimore do you most want to eat right now?
I found some new restaurants and would like to try them out. The food in LA doesn’t taste very good. I love the beach. But not the food. When I get home, I just splurge. I’m not into smoothies or green drinks. When I get home, I eat crab cakes, real mac and cheese, and western fries.
