AI stylist Art Conn discusses what goes on behind-the-scenes at television’s most popular program.

By Johnny Lopez

If you are one of the 30 million fans that tune into American Idol every week, then you are well aware that sometimes the best singers don't always make it to the end. The television show is as much a popularity contest as it is a talent competition. How a contestant looks has as big an effect on their fate as how well they performed that Barry Manilow cover. That said, the Idol wardrobe stylists can have as much pull as the vocal coaches.

Art Conn is a seasoned wardrobe stylist who has dressed celebrities like Tyra Banks, George Michael, and Pink. He's also one of two wardrobe stylists on American Idol. I sat down with him to get an insider's look on America's favorite karaoke contest. Art gives his take on dressing the contestants, the controversies surrounding the show (Can you say Mandisa, Clay, and Paula?) and being an out, gay stylist on the most popular show in the country.

IN: Tell me something we don't already know about American Idol.

Art Conn: The thing people are most surprised at, as far as what I do on the show, is that we actually take the contestants shopping. We don't bring the clothes to contestants. We bring the contestants to the clothes. Which is the reverse of how it is normally done. I mean, could you imagine taking Julia Roberts shopping at The Grove? Or waiting for her outside the fitting room as she tries on jeans? It would never happen.

So we could theoretically see the contestants at the mall?

Absolutely. Just look for me outside the dressing room.

What is the best thing about working on American Idol?

Before the competition these were just normal kids, doing chores and going to school, etc. They come onto the show and it changes them. You see them getting a sense of their own style and coming into their own and it's great to be a part of that.

How much of a say do the contestants have in choosing their outfits?

It is a completely collaborative situation between the contestants, myself and Miles Siggins, the head wardrobe stylist. Some contestants lay their lives in our hands and let us do what we want. Others have a strict sense of their own style and are hesitant to deviate from it. If they have a style this not necessarily a “good look,” then it's my job to help them step out of that box.

Does Idol have an unlimited wardrobe budget?

No. Every contestant gets the same amount, which I am not at liberty to say. If they want to go over the allotted amount, they are free to use their own money. This year you are seeing a lot of designers like Costume National or vintage pieces like Katharine McPhee's infamous yellow Ossie Clark dress. In the past everything was picked up at the Beverly Center.

So did you have anything to do with Mandisa's weapon of mass destruction, aka the sleeveless top she wore the night she was sent home?

That top was sent to Mandisa by a designer. She decided she was going to wear it. The beautiful thing about Mandisa is that when she makes up her mind, she makes up her mind. Unfortunately, she got a lot of flack for that outfit.

Do you worry that it will reflect badly on you?

If there's something they want to wear, that I may not love, and they are on the fence about it, I try to bring them over to my side. They know I would never want them to look bad because, as you said, it will reflect on me. I mean no one knows Mandisa chose that top, but I'm also not on a crusade to let the world know that either.

We can't talk about Mandisa without asking your thoughts on the controversy surrounding the comments she gave in an interview to the Advocate. ("Based on what I believe, I'm not an advocate for (being gay), so it's nothing I would take part in.") You knew her. What do you think?

My final verdict of my relationship with Mandisa is my relationship with Mandisa. It was always respectful and honest. Never once did I feel that she was judging or criticizing me. I feel blessed to have gotten to know her and don't think there is a mean bone in her body. Who knows what the context of the question was or how it was edited. Don't believe everything that you read.

So she's not a diva?

No. I think the gay community saw her as something she wasn't. Everyone wanted her to be the next club diva, singing disco remixes at 2 a.m. and that's not her. That's not what she wanted and that's not what she was going to do. People were upset.

Continuing with Idol controversies, Clay Aiken allegedly had a gay encounter that's been highly publicized in the press. What is the sentiment on the Idol set?

I never worked with Clay nor do I know him, so I can't speak to his situation. As far as on-set sentiments, everyone who worked with him speaks very highly of him.

Do you think there is pressure from American Idol to keep gay contestants closeted?

I don't think there's necessarily any pressure put on contestants by Idol to stay closeted. Unfortunately, as we all know, that pressure exists from the real world. I do think that this season's contestants in particular, see the importance of their gay fan base. So I think things are slowly changing. I've heard people say there will never be a gay American Idol, but I don't know that that's true. At one time, people never imagined there would be an out lesbian talk show host.

Paula Abdul has been the brunt of many jokes for her often erratic and questionable behavior/outbursts. What is your take on the situation?

I love that she adds humor to the show. You never know what to expect or what she is going to say. I don't know what prompts it, but I love her emotional outbursts. I think it is great that she sees Elliott (Yamin) sing and it makes her cry. I can tell you she wasn't the only one. There were a lot of people backstage with tears in their eyes.

What about Ryan Seacrest? Is he really straight?

I don't want to disappoint the readers, but yes, Ryan is in fact straight. He's very comfortable with himself and gay men. It's very refreshing.

Veering off the topic of Idol, how do you feel about the rise of the ubiquitous gay stylist on TV? From Queer Eye to red carpets to hanging with stars like Jessica Simpson and Eva Longoria, they are everywhere.

I know, it's become a gay cliché. It's slowly started taking a life of it's own to where now the stylist is almost as big a star as the celebrity they are dressing. What's funny is that people expect all stylists to always look coiffed like the ones on TV. When I've had to be on a set really early, I show up in jeans, sneakers, and a baseball hat. People sometimes make comments like, “Oh, you're butch today.” But it has nothing to do with being butch and everything to do with rolling out of bed. You try looking primped and manicured when you have a 5 a.m. call time in Malibu!

With American Idol's finale on May 24, what are you up to next?

After the finale I'm starting on the new season of the CBS reality show Rock Star. These contestants will probably be a little older and have more of an idea of who they are. The rocker look isn't necessarily my aesthetic, so I am excited to be pushed outside my box—just like I did with the Idol kids this season.