Jonny Cota knows the pain of being separated from loved ones.
In a new episode of Making the Cut -- Amazon Prime Video's new international competition of fashion designers -- contestant Cota has a video call with his husband, Frank, and his parents.
While Cota is in Tokyo stressing over a design challenge, his family members are in Los Angeles celebrating the opening of a store, Cota, for his label Skingraft, which he developed with his brother Christopher.
"I'm so excited that it's happening, but I wish I was there," Cota says in the exclusive clip shared with The Advocate below.
Seeing his loved ones sparks a visceral reaction in Cota, who tears up after they gather on the screen. The moment made him realize the commitment he has made on Making the Cut, in which he is vying for a $1 million prize to launch a line through Amazon. The series is also notable for reuniting Project Runway's Tim Gunn and Heidi Klum, in addition to featuring a host of new judges like Naomi Campbell, Joseph Altuzarra, Chiara Ferragni, Carine Roitfeld, and Nicole Richie.
(Related: Tim Gunn Is the Mentor the World Needs on Making the Cut)
"The fact that I can sacrifice my brand possibly falling apart or my store poorly opening just to be here, I'm putting so much at stake here. And I feel it every single day," Cota says.
However, seeing his family also provides Cota with some inspiration for a dress design. "This call reminded me that I'm not just doing this for me. I'm doing it for all the people who supported me this 15 years following my dreams. That lights that fire in me. That's going to make the possible impossible today," he says.
Watch the clip below. And don't miss the finale of Making the Cut April 24 on Amazon Prime Video.
