Jeffrey Sebelia American fashion designer Date of Birth: 30.05.1970 Country: USA

1. Early Life and Struggles with Addiction
2. Musical Career and Transition to Fashion
3. Success with 'Cosa Nostra'
4. 'Project Runway' Triumph
5. Post-'Project Runway' and Future Endeavors

Early Life and Struggles with Addiction

Jeffrey Sebelia:American fashion designer and founder of the clothing label 'Cosa Nostra'. He is best known for winning the third season of the American reality television show 'Project Runway'.

Sebelia's childhood was marked by conflict with his father. The divorce of his parents when he was 8 years old left him feeling guilty. To numb his pain, he experimented with cocaine and marijuana. By age 16, Sebelia had become a full-fledged heroin addict, living in a friend's garage.

For the next 15 years, Sebelia unsuccessfully attempted to quit drugs. It was not until he was 31 that he successfully completed a rehabilitation program.

Musical Career and Transition to Fashion

In the early 1990s, Sebelia was a member of the band 'Lifter', which was signed to 'Interscope Records'. The band had moderate success, with their song '402' receiving some radio airplay. 'Lifter' eventually disbanded, but Sebelia used the song 'Swing' in one of his fashion shows.

Success with 'Cosa Nostra'

After his recovery from addiction, Sebelia enrolled in sewing classes at Los Angeles Trade-Technical College. It was there that he developed an interest in fashion design. Soon after, he launched his own clothing line, 'Cosa Nostra'.

Sebelia's designs gained popularity and were worn by celebrities such as Dave Navarro, Gwen Stefani, Jennifer Lopez, members of 'Red Hot Chili Peppers', Marilyn Manson, Elton John, Madonna, and Tommy Lee. Today, his label's products are sold in 20 major department stores worldwide.

'Project Runway' Triumph

Sebelia was inspired to try out for 'Project Runway' by his friend Santino Rice. He was selected as part of the main cast and became one of four finalists who showcased their collections at Fashion Week.

In the finale, Sebelia emerged victorious, despite playing the role of the villain throughout the season. He made cutting remarks and even reduced the mother of fellow contestant Angela Keslar to tears. However, his fellow contestants noted that he was more pleasant off-camera and frequently apologized for his on-screen antics.

Post-'Project Runway' and Future Endeavors

Just two days before the finale, fellow contestant Laura Bennett accused Sebelia of cheating, claiming that he could not have possibly completed the volume of work he did without assistance from Tim Gunn. However, this was never proven. Unfortunately, Sebelia overextended his budget and had to abandon some of his designs.

In November 2009, Sebelia was featured in 'Cliché' magazine as one of the most promising designers of his generation. It was announced that he would be starting a new clothing line under his own name.

Close Relationships:As a teenager, Sebelia befriended Dave Navarro, who remains one of his most loyal clients today. He also shares a close relationship with Chester Bennington, the lead singer of 'Linkin Park'.