He was charismatic, talented, and left us much too soon on this season of Project Runway.  Jack Mackenroth surprised viewers and his fellow designers when he chose to leave the show in episode 5 due to a medical condition.  Jack was suffering from MRSA (Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus) which is a bacteria that causes infections in different parts of the body.  Because of the illness, sometimes referred to as the “superbug”, Jack suffered a very serious skin infection on his face.  He chose to leave the show to take care of himself, opening the door for previously ousted designer Chris March to waltz back into the competition.  Fans were concerned and sad to see Mackenroth go.  Many expected him to go far in the competition but now, his only chance of winning any cash is to be voted Project Runway Fan Favorite. 

Life after Project Runway hasn’t been too bad for Jack and he’s even found love – Bravo style!  It has been reported that he’s now linked to Top Chef contestant Dale Levitski.  Mackenroth is HIV positive but has said in several interviews that practices safe sex and Levitski is HIV negative.  Last month, in an interview with OutZone, owned by Bravo, he said the relationship was, “very baby steps. I really like him a lot. And geography is a bit of an issue, but we’ll see where it goes. I like him a lot. I assume he likes me a lot. Unless he’s lying,” he joked.

Mackenroth finds time to watch his fellow season 4 designers every Wednesday night and has even picked out a few favorites.  In an interview with Gloss magazine, based in San Francisco, he raved about Kit Pistol, Christian Siriano, Victorya Hong and Kevin Christiana, saying they were very up and coming.

Lately, he’s tried to get his fans to vote for him as fan favorite this season.  The winner receives $10,000 and is announced at the end of the season.  Fans can also expect to see him on the finale, as all the designers are expected to show up for the final runway show at New York Fashion Week.

– Gina Scarpa, BuddyTV Staff Writer
Source: Jack Mackenroth official website, WebMD
(Image courtesy of Bravo)

Gina Scarpa

Staff Writer, BuddyTV