Despite the popularity of their show, fame seems to be the last thing in their minds.

Grooming guru Kyan Douglas and design doctor Thom Filicia, two-fifth of the famous Fab 5 of Bravo TV’s phenomenal Queer Eye For the Straight Guy who were in Manila recently, said that fame is something that the Fab 5 is still coping with to this day. “We had no idea that the show would spark up so much interest,” beamed Kyan Douglas. Douglas and Filicia, who flew in a day before the press conference at the Makati Shangri-la to meet the bigwigs of Stores Specialists Inc. and Ayala Malls, never expected that a lot of people at the airport would actually know them. “There were even cameras at the airport. We thought something was going on, like some star is heading this way. We never thought they were meant for us. So we felt really awkward being followed around by cameras,” he added.

For the uninitiated, Queer Eye for the Straight Guy is the show where five stylish gay guys transform a simple, uncultured average Joe into a genteel, polished, fashionable, well-groomed sheik living in a refurbished home. The idea is to help guys get a promising headstart to start over, to get out of the box, so to speak. Douglas and Filicia, The Fab Two, were here to hold a makeover mission, grooming and interior design talks, and a fashion show, featuring brands like Lacoste, Calvin Klein, Jack Spade, Kate Spade, Kenneth Cole, and Springfield at the Ayala Museum.

Since its pilot episode, Queer Eye for the Straight Guy has been a great learning experience for all of them—Douglas, Filicia, Carson Kressley (fashion), Ted Allen (food), and Jai Rodriguez (cultural awareness). More than fame, the show has given them a chance to fully express to society what being gay is all about and to break free from barriers and stereotypes that had long cast a bad light on the gay community. “We want to give makeover to guys who want a makeover but don’t know where and how to start.” Douglas stressed.

In one way or another, the Fab 5 have learned a thing or two from their makeover encounters in the show. So at the end of each episode, it’s not just the straight guy who gets to learn something valuable. Filicia, who is tasked to redecorate the house of the guys, added that there were even times they were moved to tears by their straight friend’s story. “Being gay gives you somehow a sense of being different,” said Douglas. “That changed when I joined the show. I guess, the biggest thing I learned from straight guys is that being gay is OK.”

In addition, the show has somehow changed the way society looks on the gay community. “In one way, it feels really awkward. The gay community has been supportive of us. That’s why I am proud to be gay. People—straight or gay—let us do what we love to do,” Douglas continued. “I never really thought to be a role model for gays,” chimed in Filicia. “It all happened organically. We never sat together and planned to make a difference. But it’s nice that all of it happened.”

With a great response from the people, most especially from the media, a possibility of another visit shines brightly. With hope, Douglas and Filicia would reach our shores once again with the rest of the Fab 5.

The design doctor is in

Prior to the press conference at the Makati Shangri-la, Filicia was at the activity center of the Alabang Town Center to give some decorating tips and to lead the ribbon-cutting ceremony of the Design Challenge Exhibit by the students of Philippine School of Interior Design (PSID).

Filicia has built a strong reputation for being one the best in the industry. Having graduated with a BA in Interior Design from Syracuse University’s School of Art and Design in the College of Visual and Performing Arts, Filicia and his works have been featured many times in various publications like House and Garden, W, City, Details, New York, and the New York Times. His design firm, Thom Filicia Inc., has done different projects in New York, the Hamptons, Los Angeles, Miami, and Bermuda, catering to the taste of the big names in the fashion, entertainment, and business industries. For these, he was named one of House Beautiful’s Top 100 American Designers.

Known for exercising a different approach to classic simplicity, which very much highlights personal style, Filicia said that he was impressed with the way the students came up with vignettes that utilized the modern and the traditional. “One did a contemporary Filipino design using very traditional materials and the other one is more modern, more about innovation, and it was a genius on the part of the students to be able to put those two together,” he said.

Such quality could very well be influenced by the way Filipinos look at life and live. “I have to tell you that you Filipinos are very design-conscious, very lifestyle-oriented, and I love visiting and meeting up with people who are as excited about design, fashion, and all the things that we do on our show,” observed Filicia.

Shriek brigade

Back at the lobby of Greenbelt 3, the grooming session by Douglas was nothing short of a riot. Fans, especially girls, some of whom carried with them posters, cameras, and copies of the Fab Five’s book (The Fab 5’s Guide to Looking, Cooking, Dressing, Behaving, and Living Better), never really cared whether he was gay or straight. They never even cared about what Kyan was saying. I knew that his presence did not only turn knees to Jell-O, but brains as well.

“A guy friend called me up,” said Kyan, sharing the story of how he got into the phenomenal hit TV show. “He asked, ‘Hey Kyan, you’re gay, right? I said, ‘Yeah, why?’”

Aaaah. The first wave of shrieks blared like a car horn. A girl with a camera struggled to balance herself on a huge plant box.

Kyan, now a bit sweaty and flushed, paused for a few seconds and then continued with his story, “He said, ‘Well, Bravo is coming up with this new show called Queer Eye for the Straight Guy…”

AAAAAAH. The second wave of shrieks made Kyan pause again and look up at the audience.

“So... you’ve heard of it?” he asked.

WAAAAAAAAAAAAAH.

The screams were so loud I was afraid the glass windows from the nearby stalls would shatter into pieces. For a moment, I thought that the guy standing right next to me screamed as well. We, Pinoys, really are a fun bunch to watch.

But what happened next simply took the cake. Obviously overwhelmed by foolish fondness, a girl asked him to marry her. Aware that what he would do next could elicit more shrieks, Kyan gamely got down on one knee and said with a grin, “Maybe in another life. Sorry, I am gay.” And the crowd went wild once again.

“Beauty is so much more than looking good, it’s a way of life,” said Douglas.

Douglas, who trained extensively and received his certification in cosmetology from the Aveda Institute in New York and worked as a colorist at the Arrojo Studio in Soho, shared that his bureau looks more like a L’Oreal beauty kiosk. Coincidentally, Douglas is the first global spokesperson for the French beauty company. “We all have to challenge ourselves to grow, to make something out of life, to be the best we can be,” he stressed.

Take that for someone who has experienced life’s most painful blows—from the death of an uncle who committed suicide when he was a child to that of a close grandmother, the first person in the family to whom he came out as a gay man.

Aside from tips, he let the audience in on some inside information about their hit show before the grooming session ended. “One episode usually takes about three days. Two days for Thom to make over a guy’s house and half a day for me to groom him and bring him to different consultations.”

As finale, Douglas presented his makeover creations: two girls and one guy, who were selected to undergo beauty and lifestyle “refashion.”

As always, his mission was a success.