A lot of people ask me where I get the subjects for my profiles. The answer is anywhere and everywhere (including great suggestions from you). I met Gary Wallace in the waiting room at University of Pennsylvania Hospital. He was delivering a pair of shoes to his mother’s cardiologist and the whole office was peering into the box, oohing and aahing over the one-of-a-kind shoes, so I had to find out more about the young designer. We finally had a chance to speak as he was finishing hair and makeup at an AIDS fundraiser for New York’s Southern Tier AIDS Program, where he had donated a pair of his Sparkle by G custom-made shoes.
PGN: You’re in hair and makeup. Will you be modeling your own heels? GW: Yes, I do a lot of philanthropic work and I try to be hands-on whenever I can. Plus they’re fun to wear! I’m doing a red-carpet gala April 22 to raise money for Sandy victims.
PGN: That’s fantastic! So, are you a Philly boy? GW: Yes, I grew up in the Lower Northeast and moved to Warminster when I was in ninth grade. That was a big change, going from the city to suburbs, having to make new friends in a school where everyone already knew each other, but I managed. I’m very outgoing so I just jumped in and did my thing, met people and found a new crowd. Then I got involved in sports and met even more people. It was a good move. I was glad for my family to get out of the city at that time.
PGN: What sports did you play? GW: I did everything but my main sports were swimming and cheerleading.
PGN: I saw your father at the hospital. He’s a big, burly guy; what does he do? And your mom? GW: He’s a diesel mechanic and owns his own business. My mom is a stay-at-home mom. She raised 10 kids.
PGN: Whoa! GW: [Laughs.] Yes, I’m one of 12. We have a huge family and she was always there for us while my dad was out working.
PGN: My father was one of eight, and I thought that was a lot. GW: Yeah, it’s challenging, but it has its good moments. I liked it. There was always someone around.
PGN: Did you have more brothers or sisters? GW: I have six brothers and five sisters. When we get together it’s just fun and mayhem. Some are arguing and fighting, some are getting along and everyone’s loud!
PGN: Now I’m confused. You said your mother raised 10 kids. Where’d the other two fit in? GW: My parents divorced when I was young. When I say mom, I’m actually referring to my stepmom who raised me. I absolutely love her and she’s my best friend. My real mother left us when I was 4 and I’m not in contact with her. When my dad married, my stepmom had three kids. My real mother has two other kids, boys. It’s all crazy.
PGN: [Laughs.] I’m still confused! I know my math skills are rusty, but it’s still not adding up. Give me the flow-chart version. GW: OK. My dad and mom had four boys before they divorced, my stepmom had three girls before she started dating my dad, so they became the real-life Brady Bunch with one extra boy. Then my dad and stepmom adopted three kids — two girls and a boy — and then my real mom had two more kids with her new husband.
PGN: Phew! And you guys don’t have your own reality show? GW: We should have! As crazy as we are.
PGN: And what were you like as a kid within that craziness? GW: Just as crazy as the rest. I was a wild kid, I loved to go hang with my friends and get into … not exactly trouble but …
PGN: Mischief? GW: Yes, mischief. When you have that many people in a family, you stick together and we’d go out and get into stuff we probably shouldn’t have. Once we moved into the suburbs, that’s when I slowed down and got into my own skin a little bit, started finding my own things to keep me occupied. That’s one of the reasons moving to the suburbs was a good choice.
PGN: What was the biggest thing you got in trouble for? GW: Oh. When my brother and I were younger we had this stupid little club where we used to light things on fire! Not anything serious of course — it was dumb stuff like a pile of leaves or branches.
PGN: Your own little pyromaniacs club. I can relate; I used to run through bonfires on a dare at camp. I stopped when the bottom of my sneakers melted. GW: Oh man! I don’t think I could do that but I’d love to try walking on hot coals, mind-over-matter stuff. Anyway, my dad of course wasn’t happy when he found out so he duct-taped our hands closed so we couldn’t play with matches! Now I just enjoy a good fireplace. PGN: So you are an artist. Did you go to school for it or are you self-taught? GW: When we moved to Warminster they had a good art program that I really got into in 10th grade. We were always crafty. My mom always had little projects and things for us to make, but when I got into the art program at school I took photography and started getting more serious about it. I took drawing and other art classes and kept going from there. And now I design shoes.
PGN: What’s an art project that you made for your mom in school that she still has? GW: My ceramic tile table. It won first prize at an art show.
PGN: Why shoes? GW: I’ve always been fascinated with them. Growing up watching “Sex in the City” with Carrie Bradshaw and her Manolos. I always loved shoes and then when I started watching the “Housewives” [series], the show from Atlanta had two gentlemen on it who are always in heels. So when I was invited to an event hosted by Dina Manzo from “Real Housewives of New Jersey,” I decided to go in heels. I made my own pair and everyone loved them and so Sparkle by G was born.
PGN: What’s your favorite shoe that you’ve created? GW: Hmm, probably my pink and gold shoes with the gold star on the front. PGN: What’s your shoe-making process like? GW: I buy the base shoe and then I design it myself. I’ll use whatever style shoe the client wants and then embellish it with whatever they want. I help them pick colors and design and then I go straight to it. I don’t draw it out on the shoe, I just go with my pink brush and start creating. I love it; I go in my basement and just get in a zone and start. I don’t come up until I’ve finished.
PGN: Did it take a while to refine the process? How do you make shoes that don’t leave a trail of glitter behind? GW: Yes! That took quite a bit of trial and error to perfect. That first pair of shoes that I designed for the Dina Manzo event did leave a trail as I walked about but I’ve used them ever since as a testing zone. I’ve used so many different kinds of colors and glues on them that they now look like a clown threw up on them! But it worked. Now I’ve got it down pat and something new that we’re doing is putting spikes on the shoes as well. It’s fun and always changing.
PGN: So I met you as you were delivering a pair of shoes at HUP. What was that all about? GW: Well, my mother had a hole in her heart when she was young and the problem was getting worse, so she’d had three open-heart surgeries. She’d even been told she needed a heart transplant and then she met Dr. Stephanie Fuller, who said she felt confident that she could fix Mom’s heart. She did a nine-hour procedure (other doctors said it would take 16 hours) and Mom has been doing great ever since. She’s losing weight, her heart is beating normally, it’s wonderful. Dr. Fuller is our angel. So to the shoes, my sisters were talking about my shoes and Dr. Fuller overheard them. Turns out she’s a bit of a shoe fanatic so my dad asked me to make her a pair of shoes, which, of course, I was happy to do. Anything for Mother. I made a pair of silver shoes with a red sole and a red heart on the side. When I gave them to Dr. F., she loved them. She had an ear-to-ear smile and immediately wanted to try them on. She had just had foot surgery so she could only wear one shoe; she was hopping around the office with a cast on one foot and a big sparkly shoe on the other. It was hysterical.
PGN: So, since you’re Mr. Sparkle, other than your shoes, what’s your favorite sparkly thing? GW: [Laughs.] My diamond. I’m in love with it. My fiancé gave it to me two years ago. This is how much I love it: When I first got it, I was driving the car and it was sunny out. When the sunlight hit the diamond, it shined all over the roof of my car and I was so mesmerized, I almost rear-ended the car in front of me.
PGN: I’m assuming the diamond is attached to a ring? GW: [Smiles.] It is, yes. I am engaged to a wonderful guy.
PGN: How did you first know you were gay? GW: It wasn’t until my senior year of high school that I really started looking at it. As a cheerleader I got, well, not bullied, because with five boys in the family, we all handled our business, but there were comments … being called “Gay Gary” or whatever, but I never thought anything of it. I think I tried hard to stay away from all that until my senior year, when I finally started to acknowledge it. It was a really easy process. My mom was actually like, “Gary, can you just tell us already?” We were sitting on the edge of her bed talking about it and I said, “Can you talk to Father for me?” and she said, “Yes, I will.” My family has been great. They love me, they love my fiancé, it’s great. Dad was a little taken aback the first time I brought a guy home to meet them. It’s actually the same guy who is my fiancé now and they get along great. PGN: Before you came out, was it tough having a diesel-mechanic tough guy as a father? GW: It was and it wasn’t. As you saw, he’s definitely a big guy; his nickname was Stone Cold. My one brother was a hockey star and another was a football star. I was actually his cheerleader, so it was hard in that he was always going to their events and involved in their things, but he supported me in my swimming and got to see me cheerleading, mainly because he was there for my brother’s football games. It took him a moment to start really supporting it but he got there. He loves me for me and that’s all I can ask for.
PGN: That’s one of the things that made me notice you at the doctor’s office. I saw this big guy with his sparkly boy and he seemed so proud as the nurses were saying how much the doc was going to love them. GW: Yeah, it’s great. And me and my mom are like best friends. We can talk about whatever. I’m very lucky.
PGN: Back to high school, you said you did face some harassment? GW: Yeah, being a cheerleader of course you’d hear stuff. People would say something about me being gay and I’d say, “Whatever, no I’m not.” My brothers would hear about it and come and defend me. They’ve always supported me even after I came out. [Laughs.] Which was funny, after all those years of backing me up when I was telling people I wasn’t gay, they had to switch and defend me for being gay.
PGN: Changing topics, what was your first job? GW: I was 16 and I was a cart-pusher at Walmart. PGN: A cart-pusher? Does that have to do with food or merchandise carts/kiosks? GW: No, it’s the guy who rounds up all the carts in the parking lot and pushes them back into the store. I wasn’t as fabulous back then! And I did it in the winter because they needed extra seasonal help. I only lasted for two months and they brought me inside thinking I’d be better suited as a cashier. I stayed with them for quite some time and became management and started a career in retail. I’m currently a manager for another retail outlet … when I’m not doing shoes.
PGN: Let’s do some random questions. The feature I get the most compliments on is … GW: My legs. I’m blessed with nice long legs.
PGN: Which look even better in those heels, I’m sure. What’s your biggest flaw? GW: Sometimes I’m too honest. That can be a good and bad trait.
PGN: The worst pick-up line tried on me was … GW: Oh boy, someone trying to pick me up by offering money!
PGN: The time I didn’t get caught was when I … GW: Ha! I plead the fifth. There were plenty of times I didn’t get caught. My siblings always had my back. If I didn’t get caught it usually meant my sister was covering for me.
PGN: In another life I probably was a … GW: Queen of the vampires! I’m obsessed with royalty and heraldry and I love vampires, so I was probably some combination of the two. PGN: Are you a night person or day? GW: Definitely a night person.
PGN: How does that work doing retail? GW: Well, I’m currently on overnights so it’s perfect.
PGN: Any hobbies? GW: Not really, just my shoes and my dogs and fiancé. We’ve been together for five years and have built a home together. We have a house in Folcroft and have our three babies, Milo, Paris and Elton.
PGN: I think you’re the antithesis of what people assume about young gay people. You’re an entrepreneur, you’re in a stable committed relationship, you work hard and are close to your family, where people try to paint young gay men as out there partying and doing drugs and sleeping around. Are there more young people like you than we think? GW: I certainly hope so. I think you’re right that people assume the gay scene is all about who you can have in bed that night but it’s not like that. At least that’s not what I found. Most of my friends were like me, in monogamous relationships and looking to create a life and family together.
PGN: Where do you see yourself in five years? GW: Finally married! I guess it’s cliché but I want to have it all. The white-picket fence with a family and kids. We do plan to adopt one day, it’s what we’re working towards. I’d love to see Sparkle by G take off and be a huge success so I can make lots of money and be a stay-at-home mom!
Check out Sparkle by G at facebook.com/SparkleByG. For more information on the Save the Shore fundraiser, visit www.eventbrite.com/event/5595560472.