When Lorna Luft made reference to the presence of the "gay Beatles" in the VIP area of White Party at Vizcaya Nov. 30, it didn’t feel like much of an exaggeration. Judy Garland’s daughter should know a thing or two about celebrity status, and she was witnessing it in full force at the 19th annual fund-raiser.

Three members of "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy’s" Fab Five – Kyan Douglas, Thom Filicia and Carson Kressley – were in attendance to support Care Resource’s major HIV/AIDS benefit, and the crowd greeted them like visiting royalty. For three days, the trio mingled with partygoers and graciously honored a seemingly endless stream of photo requests. From White Dreams at the Miami Seaquarium to Muscle Beach to the White Party, they added a major jolt of buzzworthiness to this year’s festivities. In the midst of the hoopla, Kyan, the show’s "Grooming Guru," and Thom, the resident "Design Doctor," extracted themselves from the throngs of gay groupies to talk about this sudden burst of fame, gay stereotypes, and the worst place they’ve had to make over so far.

"We were hoping the show was going to be fun and interesting and informative, but we didn’t think it would have a real political presence, and it really has sort of created this bridge that has connected us not only with entertainment, but also to helping a lot of people, a lot of kids coming out to their families," says Thom, who has an endearing, goofy quality that makes him easily approachable. "It’s really had a wonderful influence on American culture and for me, that’s probably the most surreal aspect of it. You think of being on a successful television show and you think oh you’re going to go to fabulous parties and meet interesting Hollywood people, and we’re doing all that; but the most surreal part of it is, the thing that I think none of us really took into consideration, was how it would impact the American people."

Despite the flocks of boys clamoring for his attention, Kyan – who is every bit as handsome in person – says the work balances out their newfound fame. "The show aired on July 15 but we’d been working five months prior to that shooting these episodes so we were very grounded in the work," he says. "When it finally hit, it’s kind of like it wasn’t that heady because we’d done all this work and we’re still doing work and have continued to do work. It is very strange, but at the same time it’s not like we’re on this picnic whirlwind fantasy vacation."

In other words, they’re just guys doing what they do best. Unlike so many reality shows, with their lineups of actor wannabes, the Fab Five actually have proven track records in their respective fields. Thom has his own interior design company, Thom Filicia Inc., and landed a spot on House Beautiful’s list of Top 100 American Designers. Kyan has cosmetology certification from the Aveda Institute in New York and previously worked as a colorist for an upscale Soho salon. "I feel part of our success is the fact that we’re very natural," says Thom. "We don’t play characters on television. It’s more important that we don’t put on a façade, that we represent ourselves as who we are. I think that’s a really powerful and significant statement. We’re not only representing the show but we’re representing ourselves and other gay guys and also our relationship with straight men on the show. I think we just represent a really positive, comfortable, organic, exciting time in our culture."

It takes about three days for the Fab Five to perform their special brand of makeover magic on a needy heterosexual man in the New York area, where the cast members are all based. There are discussions under way about how to create a mobile format, and based on the increasing number of requests for it, Thom is optimistic it will happen eventually on some level.

In the meantime, the Queer Eye guys are back with new episodes and Kyan says that one of the shows taped for this season features the worst living space they’ve encountered to date. "We make jokes all the time about, ‘Oh these guys live in crack dens’ – but we’re just kidding," he says. "This guy really lived in a crack den. It was like the worst apartment I’ve ever been in, in my life. I was really anxiously awaiting what Thom would do with this place, because it was horrible. "We all had to take allergy medicine to be in it, it was so dusty and dirty. We started coughing and sneezing and all that. But actually Thom is a genius and he pulled it off and it looked fantastic. It hasn’t aired yet … so you have to watch for it."

If it were possible to turn back the clock and visit Thom and Kyan’s pre-Fab childhood, there were indeed early signs of the fabulousness to come. In fact, Thom had a moment of inspiration in the place we’re now standing. "I was in this very estate when I was about 10 years old with my mother and I was completely fascinated by it. I pretty much studied the brochure and walked the grounds and the property and the gardens; they were renovating the pool when I was here, that’s how long ago it was. I guess that probably a pretty good sign," he laughs. "When your son who’s 10 is really into Vizcaya you know he’s leaning in the direction."

"Oh gosh. If I am in fact fabulous, there was no indication," Kyan says. "I was pretty dorky and awkward. I was a mess. I was not cute – I was shy and very awkward. But I’ve always been interested in well-being," he adds. "Even as a kid, I sort of took care of myself and I used to make some skin care products in a food processor out of like, papaya. I always had that in me and then I just sort of channeled that energy into various schools of education and learned about skin care and learned about hair care. You know, all the drag queens here tonight were in their mother’s vanities putting on makeup. I was more interested in my mom’s cleansers and moisturizers."

Now that "Queer Eye" has provided a highly visible forum for their talents, has it changed their ideas about future career plans? Kyan says that it’s all about the show for the immediate future, so he doesn’t allow himself to think about it too much. "If there is a life after ‘Queer Eye,’ and that would be in television in some way, that would be great," he says. "It’s a little premature to map that out."

Meanwhile, Thom has a queer eye only for the design opportunities the show affords, which are a far cry from the high-end residential work his company handles. "That’s what’s really exciting for me is to be able to go from high end and take my philosophies and my education and experiences and translate them into a format that people who can’t afford to hire decorators can use to access my ideas and implement them into their own homes," he says.

A hair stylist, an interior designer, a "Fashion Savant" (Carson), a "Culture Vulture" (Jai) and a food and wine connoisseur (Ted): For all its success, "Queer Eye" has also received its fair share of criticism from inside and outside the gay community for perpetuating stereotypes. "That sort of very right population is going to find any reason not to like us, but that aside, it’s a good question about the stereotyping," Kyan says. "We’re not actors, we’re just guys on a TV show being ourselves. We don’t claim to represent the entire gay community. There’s no way five people could do that. We do happen to work in fashion and beauty industries – that’s just who we are as five guys. It’s important though for us to be able to be ourselves. If that means that in some way we sometimes embody these stereotypes then so be it, because if it’s not OK to sometimes be stereotypical – whatever that means – then it’s allowing a fearful straight community to dictate to me how I should behave. We (the gay community) need to be very careful about balancing wanting to be a part of and fitting in against giving away who we are or suppressing who are, because if we start suppressing who we are then they’re calling the shots. It’s a fine balance. "At the end of the day, you know what? It’s a makeover show and it’s a lot of fun and it has heart and we’re really out to do good, but it is a makeover, we’re not saving lives," he grins. "It’s not really meant to be taken that seriously."

Kyan Douglas has found his romantic life the subject of gossip columns, where he’s been linked to Robert Gant of Showtime’s "Queer As Folk." "It’s all crazy," he says. "Those things aren’t necessarily accurate what you read in a gossip column, so it’s very interesting to have your life mirrored in a column. Robert and I are friends. We met on the Vanity Fair shoot and we are definitely getting to know each other and he’s a very special guy and I like him a lot. But that’s where we are. I’ve known him for a few months and we live in different cities, so you have to approach these things with caution and practicality. He’s a great guy and I’m having a lot of fun getting to know him as a friend."

Attention holiday shoppers: Thom Filicia is single. When asked what he’s looking for, he just laughs and says: "Someone who will put up with me." "For me, the most important thing is someone who really enjoys their time and is very focused in what they’re doing and who will allow me to support them in their endeavors and also will be supportive of me. Someone who is just fun, really. I love to laugh and that’s pretty much what it’s all about. I’m taking applications."