Mondo Guerra Biography
Mondo Guerra is an American fashion designer who finished second on Season 8 of Project Runway and went on to win the first season of Project Runway All Stars.
How old is Mondo Guerra?- Age
He is 43 years old as of 6 June 2021. He was born in 1978 in Denver, Colorado, United States. His real name is Armando Thomas “Mondo” Guerra.
Mondo Guerra Family
Guerra is a Denver-area fifth-generation Mexican-American. He is the son of Gerri Guerra and Tom Guerra. He went to the Denver School of the Arts for high school.
Mondo Guerra Partner
He was married to Benjamin Walter Duchaine. The couple married in 2010 and divorced in 2013.
Mondo Guerra Health
At the age of 22, he tested HIV positive while living in New York City in 2001. He didn’t begin antiretroviral therapy for several years and struggled with adherence, experiencing several side effects and being hospitalized multiple times later in the 2000s. In an interview, he discussed his struggle with AIDS in the American healthcare system, his reliance on Ryan White programs, his depression, and his decision to keep his HIV status hidden, including from his family. He has also discussed HIV stigma and “AIDS phobia” in the gay community.
Mondo Guerra Net Worth
He has an estimated net worth of $1 Million.
Mondo Guerra Project Runway
Guerra appeared on Project Runway’s eighth season, which aired in 2010. After finishing first but not first in a number of challenges, then finishing second but not being eliminated in the seventh episode, he won the challenges in the eighth, ninth, and tenth episodes. He also received $20,000 for the ninth challenge, which required him to wear both a “couture” and a “ready-to-wear” look.
During the tenth challenge, he revealed to the judges that his pattern of bright, bold plus signs on a pant was inspired by his HIV+ status, and that he had been keeping his HIV status a secret for ten years; in an interview, he mentioned that the schedule was particularly difficult for his medication adherence, despite coming shortly after a very low CD4 count. He had not previously disclosed his HIV status to his family, and the show’s producers and Tim Gunn discussed how he wanted to handle the situation; Guerra has described feeling a sense of relief and self-love after going public with his status.
He finally told his family about it shortly before the tenth challenge aired. Guerra finished second in the final competition held at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City with a collection themed on the Day of the Dead. Gretchen Jones of Oregon won first place, and Andy South — now Ari South — of Hawaii finished third.
Heidi Klum, who had pushed for Guerra to win over Jones in a lengthy split debate over the winner, wore a modified version of one of Guerra’s final collection gowns to the Los Angeles premiere of the film Black Swan a few weeks after the final episode aired.
Guerra won the first season of Project Runway All Stars in 2012, defeating season 1 designer Austin Scarlett and close friend from season 8 Michael Costello. Guerra made an appearance on the seventh season of Project Runway All Stars in 2019, assisting Irina Shabayeva on the final challenge. Guerra was also a judge on Project Runway Season 10, Episode 9, in which contestants had to create their own fabric print and design an outfit using it. Guerra’s victory in this challenge during Season 8 was referenced in the episode.