Carson Kressley
Encyclopedia
Carson Lee Kressley was the fashion expert on the American
television program Queer Eye
, where he was one of the show's "Fab Five" members. He is also the motivational host of the TV show How to Look Good Naked
.
area of Pennsylvania. His family raised ponies and he competed in equine events from an early age, and was a member of the U.S. World Cup Saddle Seat equitation
team.
Growing up, he attended Northwestern Lehigh High School in the Northwestern Lehigh School District
. He graduated from Gettysburg College
with a degree in management
and fine art
in 1991, with Phi Beta Kappa and magna cum laude honors. While at Gettysburg College, Kressley became a brother of Alpha Phi Omega
.
He currently resides in New York City
, where he is active in numerous gay-rights, animal and health-related charities. Kressley was a vocal supporter of Hillary Clinton's 2008 campaign for President and headlined a number of events in her honor.
He began as an independent stylist
, then worked for Ralph Lauren
from 1994 until 2002, working in several areas including menswear and corporate advertising. His leap into television took place in 2003 when he gained great exposure as the "fashion savant" on Queer Eye
when the show debuted on the Bravo cable television network. He remains active and visible on television as a fashion critic or commentator. Kressley has frequently appeared on The Today Show and for the E!
Network, among others, and has critiqued red carpet fashions at high-profile events such as the Oscars
and the Golden Globes. In 2005, he acted as a judge for the Miss Universe
pageant
, which aired live from Bangkok, Thailand
. In 2006, he returned to the Miss Universe pageant, but as commentator, and was also commentator for the 2006 Miss USA
pageant.
In February 2007, he was announced as the host of new Lifetime
makeover show, How to Look Good Naked
(a U.S. version of a British series). The show's premiere episode on January 4, 2008 drew record numbers for Lifetime—1.6 million viewers, which included significant numbers in the adults 18-49 and adults 18-34 demographics, as well as the network's target demo of women 18-34. As of January 2008, the debut episode of How to Look Good Naked is Lifetime's highest-rated premiere in those three demographics.
In May 2007, he acted as a judge on reality series Crowned: The Mother of All Pageants
where mother and daughter teams compete in a beauty pageant. Crowned debuted on The CW
on December 12, 2007.
Kressley appeared as the Master of Ceremonies on Cyndi Lauper's
True Colors Tour 2008.
In September 2008, Kressley filmed a pilot for his own daytime talk show on Lifetime.
He has also appeared on Big Brother Australia, giving fashion advice to the housemates.
He is a judge on True Beauty
, along with Vanessa Minnillo and Beth Stern.
In 2011 Kressley began a show on the Oprah Winfrey Network titled Carson Nation.
In 2011 Kressley also appeared on the TV show Dancing with the Stars
, only to be voted off Tuesday, October 18.
starring Heather Locklear
and Hilary Duff
, playing Lance, a bartender. In July 2006, he announced he had started production on his second feature, The Year Without a Santa Claus, playing the elf costumier. This TV movie also stars John Goodman
as Santa, and aired December 11, 2006 on NBC
. He had a cameo role in his third movie, the independent comedy 16 to Life
.
. He cites his experience as a stylist with Ralph Lauren and on Queer Eye
as inspiration for the line, and says he "...realized a lot of people are missing great basics in their wardrobe. I consider my Perfect collection for QVC to be 'basics with a twist.'"
as a minister of the Universal Life Church
, in order to be able to perform a wedding ceremony during an episode of Queer Eye. During the episode he mistakenly announced he had been ordained by the "Universal Unitarian Church of Modesto, California," and the slip aired, much to the amusement of the Unitarian Universalist Church in Modesto, California.
Kressley is also known as an owner of American Saddlebred
horses and respected for his success as a horse show
exhibitor. His interest in horses combined with his interest in promoting respect for diversity, resulted in his authorship of 'You're Different and That's Super!', illustrated by cartoonist Jared Lee.
Kressley is an ambassador for the Melbourne Cup
, in 2007 playing a part in the 'Fashion On The Field'.
In November 2006 Kressley competed on a celebrity edition of Jeopardy against Regis Philbin
and Nancy Grace
. Carson took second place, losing by one dollar.
Kressley was a participant on the 13th season of Dancing with the Stars
, partnered with professional dancer Anna Trebunskaya
. They were voted off Tuesday, October 18.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
television program Queer Eye
Queer Eye
Queer Eye is an American reality television series that premiered on the Bravo cable television network in July 2003. The program's name was changed from Queer Eye for the Straight Guy after the third season to broaden the scope of its content...
, where he was one of the show's "Fab Five" members. He is also the motivational host of the TV show How to Look Good Naked
How to Look Good Naked
How to Look Good Naked is a television program, first aired on British Channel 4 in 2006, in which fashion stylist Gok Wan encourages women and men who are insecure with their bodies to strip nude for the camera...
.
Biography
Kressley was born and raised in Claussville, in the Lehigh ValleyLehigh Valley
The Lehigh Valley, known officially by the United States Census Bureau as the Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ metropolitan area and referred to locally as The Valley and A-B-E, is a metropolitan region consisting of Lehigh, Northampton, Berks, and Carbon counties in eastern Pennsylvania and...
area of Pennsylvania. His family raised ponies and he competed in equine events from an early age, and was a member of the U.S. World Cup Saddle Seat equitation
Equitation
Equitation is the art or practice of horse riding or horsemanship.More specifically, equitation may refer to a rider's position while mounted, and encompass a rider's ability to ride correctly and with effective aids. In horse show competition, the rider, rather than the horse is evaluated...
team.
Growing up, he attended Northwestern Lehigh High School in the Northwestern Lehigh School District
Northwestern Lehigh School District
Northwestern Lehigh School District is a public school district in the northwestern corner of Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, in the United States...
. He graduated from Gettysburg College
Gettysburg College
Gettysburg College is a private four-year liberal arts college founded in 1832, in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, United States, adjacent to the famous battlefield. Its athletic teams are nicknamed the Bullets. Gettysburg College has about 2,700 students, with roughly equal numbers of men and women...
with a degree in management
Management
Management in all business and organizational activities is the act of getting people together to accomplish desired goals and objectives using available resources efficiently and effectively...
and fine art
Fine art
Fine art or the fine arts encompass art forms developed primarily for aesthetics and/or concept rather than practical application. Art is often a synonym for fine art, as employed in the term "art gallery"....
in 1991, with Phi Beta Kappa and magna cum laude honors. While at Gettysburg College, Kressley became a brother of Alpha Phi Omega
Alpha Phi Omega
Alpha Phi Omega is the largest collegiate fraternity in the United States, with chapters at over 350 campuses, an active membership of approximately 17,000 students, and over 350,000 alumni members...
.
He currently resides in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, where he is active in numerous gay-rights, animal and health-related charities. Kressley was a vocal supporter of Hillary Clinton's 2008 campaign for President and headlined a number of events in her honor.
Career
Wardrobe stylist
A wardrobe stylist is the job title of someone who selects the clothing for published editorial features, print or television advertising campaigns, music videos, concert performances, and any public appearances made by celebrities, models or other public figures...
, then worked for Ralph Lauren
Ralph Lauren
Ralph Lauren is an American fashion designer and business executive; best known for his Polo Ralph Lauren clothing brand.-Early life:...
from 1994 until 2002, working in several areas including menswear and corporate advertising. His leap into television took place in 2003 when he gained great exposure as the "fashion savant" on Queer Eye
Queer Eye
Queer Eye is an American reality television series that premiered on the Bravo cable television network in July 2003. The program's name was changed from Queer Eye for the Straight Guy after the third season to broaden the scope of its content...
when the show debuted on the Bravo cable television network. He remains active and visible on television as a fashion critic or commentator. Kressley has frequently appeared on The Today Show and for the E!
E!
E! Entertainment Television is an American basic cable and satellite television network, owned by NBCUniversal. It features entertainment-related programming, reality television, feature films and occasionally series and specials unrelated to the entertainment industry.E! has an audience reach of...
Network, among others, and has critiqued red carpet fashions at high-profile events such as the Oscars
Academy Awards
An Academy Award, also known as an Oscar, is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers...
and the Golden Globes. In 2005, he acted as a judge for the Miss Universe
Miss Universe
Miss Universe is an annual international beauty contest that is run by the Miss Universe Organization. The pageant is the most publicized beauty contest in the world with 600 million viewers....
pageant
Beauty contest
A beauty pageant or beauty contest, is a competition that mainly focuses on the physical beauty of its contestants, although such contests often incorporate personality, talent, and answers to judges' questions as judged criteria...
, which aired live from Bangkok, Thailand
Bangkok
Bangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom...
. In 2006, he returned to the Miss Universe pageant, but as commentator, and was also commentator for the 2006 Miss USA
Miss USA
The Miss USA beauty contest has been held annually since 1952 to select the United States entrant in the Miss Universe pageant. The Miss Universe Organization operates both pageants, as well as Miss Teen USA...
pageant.
In February 2007, he was announced as the host of new Lifetime
Lifetime Television
Lifetime Television, often referred to as Lifetime TV, or most commonly, Lifetime, is an American cable television specialty channel devoted to movies, sitcoms and dramas, all of which are either geared toward women or feature women in lead roles. The cable network is owned by A&E Television Networks...
makeover show, How to Look Good Naked
How to Look Good Naked
How to Look Good Naked is a television program, first aired on British Channel 4 in 2006, in which fashion stylist Gok Wan encourages women and men who are insecure with their bodies to strip nude for the camera...
(a U.S. version of a British series). The show's premiere episode on January 4, 2008 drew record numbers for Lifetime—1.6 million viewers, which included significant numbers in the adults 18-49 and adults 18-34 demographics, as well as the network's target demo of women 18-34. As of January 2008, the debut episode of How to Look Good Naked is Lifetime's highest-rated premiere in those three demographics.
In May 2007, he acted as a judge on reality series Crowned: The Mother of All Pageants
Crowned: The Mother of All Pageants
Crowned: The Mother of All Pageants is an eight-episode competition that featured multiple mother-daughter teams working together as pairs to win a beauty pageant competition...
where mother and daughter teams compete in a beauty pageant. Crowned debuted on The CW
The CW Television Network
The CW Television Network is a television network in the United States launched at the beginning of the 2006–2007 television season. It is a joint venture between CBS Corporation, the former owners of United Paramount Network , and Time Warner's Warner Bros., former majority owner of The WB...
on December 12, 2007.
Kressley appeared as the Master of Ceremonies on Cyndi Lauper's
Cyndi Lauper
Cynthia Ann Stephanie "Cyndi" Lauper is an American singer, songwriter, actress and LGBT rights activist. She achieved success in the mid-1980s with the release of the album She's So Unusual and became the first female singer to have four top-five singles released from one album...
True Colors Tour 2008.
In September 2008, Kressley filmed a pilot for his own daytime talk show on Lifetime.
He has also appeared on Big Brother Australia, giving fashion advice to the housemates.
He is a judge on True Beauty
True Beauty (season 2)
True Beauty is the second season of the reality television series True Beauty. In a format similar to the first season, the contestants are competing to see who is the most beautiful. However, they think they are only being tested on outer beauty when in fact the judges are also evaluating their...
, along with Vanessa Minnillo and Beth Stern.
In 2011 Kressley began a show on the Oprah Winfrey Network titled Carson Nation.
In 2011 Kressley also appeared on the TV show Dancing with the Stars
Dancing with the Stars (U.S. season 13)
Dancing with the Stars returned for its thirteenth season on September 19, 2011. Carrie Ann Inaba, Len Goodman and Bruno Tonioli returned as the judges, and Tom Bergeron and Brooke Burke Charvet returned as hosts. Twelve couples competed in this season...
, only to be voted off Tuesday, October 18.
Acting
Since the success of Queer Eye he has pursued various acting opportunities. In 2005, Kressley made his film debut in the movie The Perfect ManThe Perfect Man
The Perfect Man is a 2005 romantic comedy film directed by Mark Rosman and written by Gina Wendkos. It stars Hilary Duff, Heather Locklear and Chris Noth. Filming of the movie began in May 2004...
starring Heather Locklear
Heather Locklear
Heather Deen Locklear is an American actress best known for her television roles as Sammy Jo Carrington on Dynasty, Officer Stacy Sheridan on T.J...
and Hilary Duff
Hilary Duff
Hilary Erhard Duff is an American actress, singer-songwriter, entrepreneur, and author. After working in local theater plays and television commercials in her childhood, she achieved fame playing the title role in the Disney Channel television series Lizzie McGuire. She also reprised her role in...
, playing Lance, a bartender. In July 2006, he announced he had started production on his second feature, The Year Without a Santa Claus, playing the elf costumier. This TV movie also stars John Goodman
John Goodman
John Stephen Goodman is an American film, television, and stage actor. He is best known for his role as Dan Conner on the television series Roseanne for which he won a Best Actor Golden Globe Award in 1993, and for appearances in the films of the Coen brothers, with prominent roles in Raising...
as Santa, and aired December 11, 2006 on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
. He had a cameo role in his third movie, the independent comedy 16 to Life
16 to Life
16 to Life is a comedy film directed by Becky Smith and stars Hallee Hirsh as Kate, a bookish teen about to turn 16 who plays match-maker for her friends. Co-stars include: Shiloh Fernandez, Mandy Musgrave, Theresa Russell, Carson Kressley and Nicholas Downs. The film was originally titled “Duck...
.
Fashion design
He also has moved into fashion design. In November 2006, Kressley debuted "Perfect", his own clothing for men and women, on QVCQVC
QVC is a multinational corporation specializing in televised home shopping. Founded in 1986 by Joseph Segel in West Goshen Township, Pennsylvania, United States, QVC broadcasts in five countries as QVC US, QVC UK, QVC Germany, QVC Japan and – QVC Italy to 200 million households...
. He cites his experience as a stylist with Ralph Lauren and on Queer Eye
Queer Eye
Queer Eye is an American reality television series that premiered on the Bravo cable television network in July 2003. The program's name was changed from Queer Eye for the Straight Guy after the third season to broaden the scope of its content...
as inspiration for the line, and says he "...realized a lot of people are missing great basics in their wardrobe. I consider my Perfect collection for QVC to be 'basics with a twist.'"
Books
- Author of the 2004 book Off The Cuff: The essential style guide for men and the women who love them (ISBN 0-525-94836-8).
- Author of You're Different and That's SuperYou're Different and That's SuperYou're Different and That's Super is the name of a children's book by Queer Eye for the Straight Guy fashion expert Carson Kressley, published in October 2005.- Synopsis :...
, a 2005 children's story deriving inspiration from the classic tale "The Ugly DucklingThe Ugly Duckling"The Ugly Duckling" is a literary fairy tale by Danish poet and author Hans Christian Andersen . The story tells of a homely little bird born in a barnyard who suffers abuse from his neighbors until, much to his delight , he matures into a beautiful swan, the most beautiful bird of all...
," featuring a unicornUnicornThe unicorn is a legendary animal from European folklore that resembles a white horse with a large, pointed, spiraling horn projecting from its forehead, and sometimes a goat's beard...
who grows up among a herd of horseHorseThe horse is one of two extant subspecies of Equus ferus, or the wild horse. It is a single-hooved mammal belonging to the taxonomic family Equidae. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million years from a small multi-toed creature into the large, single-toed animal of today...
s from foalFoalA foal is an equine, particularly a horse, that is one year old or younger. More specific terms are colt for a male foal and filly for a female foal, but these terms are used until the horse is age three or four. When the foal is nursing from its dam , it may also be called a suckling...
hood to maturity. - Co-author, Queer Eye for the Straight Guy: The Fab Five's Guide to Looking Better, Cooking Better, Dressing Better, Behaving Better, and Living Better (Clarkson Potter, 2004), with the four other cast members.
Other vocations
In April 2006, Kressley became ordained over the InternetInternet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
as a minister of the Universal Life Church
Universal Life Church
The Universal Life Church is a religious organization that offers anyone semi-immediate ordination as a ULC minister free of charge. The organization states that anyone can become a minister immediately, without having to go through the pre-ordination process required by other religious faiths...
, in order to be able to perform a wedding ceremony during an episode of Queer Eye. During the episode he mistakenly announced he had been ordained by the "Universal Unitarian Church of Modesto, California," and the slip aired, much to the amusement of the Unitarian Universalist Church in Modesto, California.
Kressley is also known as an owner of American Saddlebred
American Saddlebred
The American Saddlebred, formerly known as the American Saddle Horse, is a breed of horse that was developed in Kentucky by plantation owners. Today, in the horse show world, they are most commonly seen under saddle in Saddle seat style riding, and in various types of driving, including pleasure...
horses and respected for his success as a horse show
Horse show
A Horse show is a judged exhibition of horses and ponies. Many different horse breeds and equestrian disciplines hold competitions worldwide, from local to the international levels. Most horse shows run from one to three days, sometimes longer for major, all-breed events or national and...
exhibitor. His interest in horses combined with his interest in promoting respect for diversity, resulted in his authorship of 'You're Different and That's Super!', illustrated by cartoonist Jared Lee.
Kressley is an ambassador for the Melbourne Cup
Melbourne Cup
The Melbourne Cup is Australia's major Thoroughbred horse race. Marketed as "the race that stops a nation", it is a 3,200 metre race for three-year-olds and over. It is the richest "two-mile" handicap in the world, and one of the richest turf races...
, in 2007 playing a part in the 'Fashion On The Field'.
In November 2006 Kressley competed on a celebrity edition of Jeopardy against Regis Philbin
Regis Philbin
Regis Francis Xavier Philbin is an American media personality, actor and singer, known for hosting talk and game shows since the 1960s. Philbin is often called "the hardest working man in show business" and holds the Guinness World Record for the most time spent in front of a television camera...
and Nancy Grace
Nancy Grace
Nancy Ann Grace is an American legal commentator, television host, television journalist, and former prosecutor. She frequently discusses issues from what she describes as a victims' rights standpoint, with an outspoken style that has won her both praise and condemnation...
. Carson took second place, losing by one dollar.
Kressley was a participant on the 13th season of Dancing with the Stars
Dancing with the Stars (U.S. season 13)
Dancing with the Stars returned for its thirteenth season on September 19, 2011. Carrie Ann Inaba, Len Goodman and Bruno Tonioli returned as the judges, and Tom Bergeron and Brooke Burke Charvet returned as hosts. Twelve couples competed in this season...
, partnered with professional dancer Anna Trebunskaya
Anna Trebunskaya
Anna Trebunskaya is a Russian professional ballroom and Latin dancer, known for her appearances on Dancing with the Stars . She now lives in Los Angeles, California and dances in the International Latin style.-Biography:Anna Trebunskaya was born December 28, 1980 in Chelyabinsk, Russia...
. They were voted off Tuesday, October 18.
Awards
- In 2004 Queer Eye won an Emmy Award for "Outstanding Reality Program." It was nominated again for that category in 2005.