EXCLUSIVE: OMG Fashun Episode 5, Winner’s Walk Interview With Chelsea Billingsley
Another week has come and gone on E!’s OMG Fashun, marking two new Disruptors as “the moment.” Chelsea Billingsley took home the first win, after she appeared in Episode 105, called “Super Power Bitch.” Here, her designs impressed every judge on set. Julia Fox, Law Roach, and Wisdom Kaye are all legends, and now, so is Chelsea.
Chelsea’s website lists her as being “very much a vibe, not a trend.” She does this in such a unique way, expertly stitching together various fibers to create crocheted designs that are next level. Following her well-deserved win, Chelsea met up with Reality Tea’s writer Amy DeVore, where they further gabbed on all things OMG Fashun.
Chelsea’s first impressions
Amy DeVore: Julia is hysterical. Do you have a favorite Julia moment from filming?
Chelsea Billingsley: Everything she does is outrageous. I can’t stop watching her. One of my favorite moments with Julia was in a judging. Basically Katya, my fellow cast member, she asked if she could keep the little thing that Julia gave her. I think it was like some old trinkets or something in a bag. And she was like, Yeah, you can just have all of this.
Amy: Love it. You and Law had a connection due to your hometowns being the same. Did you two connect in any other way?
Chelsea: Besides Chicago, definitely fashion. He has been one of my biggest inspirations since I decided to step into the design world. I grew up watching Zendaya on Disney, so I’ve been following his journey as he’s grown with her. I just really wanted to ultimately make him proud.
Amy: And you did. Also, Wisdom made me laugh. Behind the scenes, what was he like?
Chelsea: It was just fun to be able to banter back and forth and to see his energy with the other judges because I don’t think that we’ve seen him on that level just yet. He told me that I ate and I was like, okay, cool, cool. Cool.
“Turning basic into batsh*t”
Amy: The style challenge at the jump asked you to “turn basic into batsh*t.” You were sent 10 scarves to upcycle, but on all of the designs, the judges were “displeased.” No one won, which is a first. What was going through your head here?
Chelsea: I was really in my head. I was second-guessing myself a lot when it came to styling because I really wanted to make sure that I show my style, but also impress the judges. So I was struggling, and I was like, Lord, I pray that I can turn this thing around.
The “Fox Box”
Amy: Moving into the design studio, you had to create a suit for Julia’s alter-ego, “Super Fox.” In your “Fox Box,” you had a stuffed animal, a drawing by Julia’s son Valentino, a baby blanket, a breast pump, and a onesie. This pack had me thrown, but what was your take?
Chelsea: My take was, I may be stuck right now, but if I take a moment to breathe, and really see what the most simple approach to these pieces is, then I can move forward.
Julia’s plot twist
Amy: Roughly halfway through, Julia came over the PA with a “plot twist.” In addition to finishing your design, you also had to create a superhero sidekick outfit for Julia’s son’s baby doll. How did you come up with your idea to solve this little plot twist?
Chelsea: I only wanted to focus on getting something on the model, and then I would worry about the baby doll later. I felt like once I got the look together, then it would help me to come up with the storyline for the doll. Mostly, I didn’t want my model going down there naked. So for the doll, it is what it is.
A short dress problem arises
Amy: Speaking of looking naked, your design was super short, and it stressed you out. Talk to me about this.
Chelsea: Initially, I thought I shot myself in the foot. If I had more time, I would have made it a little bit longer. But then again, I trusted my design.
Law’s squashed beef
Amy: When your Julia walked out, the actual Julia gasped. At this point, did you feel like you had the competition on lock, or no?
Chelsea: Actually, no, I thought my counterpart Katya was gonna win. Really, I didn’t know if I had it necessarily locked and loaded, but I knew that they were proud.
Amy: Law noted that your design was short, but he also expressed how proud he was. Then, you thanked Jesus, and it made me choke up. Talk to me about this moment.
Chelsea: In that moment, this win wasn’t just for, for me. It was for my hometown, and all little girls, little black girls, that have a desire to do fiber arts. SO yeah, I thank God, because God was the reason why I feel like I’ve made it on this show. And He’s the reason why I made it through the competition.
Chelsea’s big win and future plans
Amy: Do you have any plans for your winning check?
Chelsea: Top of my mind, it’s just my brand. My brand is my baby, therefore that’s really what it will go towards.
Amy: Finally, before we wrap, do you have any parting words of inspiration for our readers?
Chelsea: Ultimately, it’s just give yourself grace and be true to yourself. One of the key things that I always ask myself is, is your Spirit speaking to this? Is this something that you truly believe in? Dreams aren’t easy, but the reward is worth it.
This interview was edited for conciseness and clarity.
Back-to-back episodes of OMG Fashun drop every Monday on E!, starting at 9:00 pm.
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