Blog the Runway: September 2016

Get to know the designers

Like every season, season 15 of Project Runway is sure to be full of colorful personalities. Call me a drama junkie, but one of my favorite parts of reality shows is the conflict. Honestly, who doesn't enjoy a catty reality TV fight every once in a while?!

So who are the contestants this season?

Who are the contestants?

Alex Snyder

Overview: Alex is a 30-year-old from San Francisco with a killer flower tattoo on his forearm. He has a Master's in Fine Arts of Design and doubles as a fashion teacher. He enjoys working in teams and understands that it is a big part of the real-world fashion industry. Alex finds that he struggles with making his garments wearable.

First Impressions: I love him already. Because of his academic background, I expect that Alex has an excellent understanding of the technicalities of design. I hope he decides to show off some beautiful structured pieces! Right off the bat, he seems like a strong contender.

Brik Allen

Overview: A 26-year-old designer from Baton Rouge, Brik began designing when he was only 16 years old. His strength is in pattern design and he enjoys creating structured garments. He loved watching the hardware store unconventional challenge a few seasons back and hopes to have the opportunity to work with metal in a design this season.

First Impressions: His hair is beautiful. I'm expecting to see some pattern mixing from him, since his strength is in patterning. I am looking forward to seeing him in an unconventional challenge. His structured designs and strength in textiles could serve him very well!

Cornelius Ortiz

Overview: Cornelius is a 24-year-old designer hailing from Boston. He seems to be a man of few words, judging by his short, to-the-point responses on the Project Runway contestants page. Like Brik, Cornelius counts his strengths as pattern making. He also counts himself an expert in mixing patterns and textures, as well as a quick sewer.

First Impressions: He seems like a sweetheart. He is excited about working in teams and seeing what others have to contribute to the design. His interview left me wanting a little more, so I am interested to see what he designs. I can't wait to see what he does with his pattern and texture mixing.

Dexter Simmons

Overview: A 32-year-old from Oakland, California, Dexter got his start designing clothing for indie bands. He says his weakness is in "basic design challenges." He is not too keen on working in teams and prefers to work on his own.

First Impressions: I am interested to see his aesthetic. If he is still influenced by his background designing for indie musicians, I would not be surprised if he has a cool, indie-chic style. I hope he does! I'm going to go ahead and tag him as the quiet "lone wolf" of the season. I think he will sneak up on the other designers and become regarded as tough competition.

Erin Robertson

Overview: Erin is a 29-year-old from Cambridge, Massachusetts. Erin has a Bachelor of Fine Arts in fashion design and fiber art (I don't know what that is, but it sounds awesome). She creates textiles, takes criticism positively, and believes that there is something to learn from every challenge. However, she is a self-proclaimed procrastinator.

First Impressions: That is a very yellow shirt. Erin seems to have a strong point of view and no qualms about experimenting with textures. She admits she is weak in time management, which seems to be an issue that is exacerbated in Project Runway. That could prove to be her downfall if she doesn't keep it in check.

Ian Hargrove

Overview: Ian is a 30-year-old self-taught designer from Chicago. He is currently pursuing a degree in fashion. An exuberant designer who prides himself on his speed and taste level, Ian is wary of unconventional challenges and struggles with hand sewing.

First Impressions: I didn't know Tom May from The Menzingers was into fashion design. But seriously, I love how driven and passionate he seems about what he does. However, it's a little worrying that he seems so new to design and sewing. When most other contestants on Project Runway have years of experience, it will be interesting to see how well Ian stacks up.

Jenni Riccetti

Jenny Riccetti, Jenni Ricetti, Jenny Ricetti

Overview: Jenny is 22 and from San Francisco. She is mostly self-taught and is able to perfectly execute her design concepts. Jenni has trouble finishing pieces that she is not inspired by.

First Impressions: I'll admit - Jenni worries me. She struggles with finishing pieces she does not love and when asked about working teams, she responded, "I'm assuming I'll hate it." When dozens of designers have been cut solely because of their inability to work on a team or their inability to salvage a bad design, it seems like Jenni needs to be very careful. Barring that, the pictures in her portfolio seem a little uninspired and, frankly, are not my taste. I'm sorry, Jenni.

Kimber Richardson

Overview: Kimber is a 42-year-old designer from New York, New York. She very recently got into design, but has a strong point of view and even stronger determination. She counts sewing as one of her strengths.

First Impressions: She exudes confidence. I think she will be a positive team player who takes the judges criticism and adjusts her designs accordingly. She seems very willing to learn. I can't wait to see how well she communicates her design concepts in a team challenge, especially when she names sketching as one of her weaknesses.

Laurence Basse

Overview: A 41-year-old from Los Angeles, Laurence studied fashion for 6 years in Paris. She regards herself as extremely creative and has a goal of staying humble throughout the competition. Like many others, she struggles with time management, but is very open to all sorts of design challenges.

First Impressions: She seems like a very reasonable, humble person and I want to be her friend. I hope she draws on her experience studying internationally and creates some avant-garde, fashion forward looks.

Linda Marcus

Overview: Linda is 55 and from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Although she is self-taught, she has been sewing since the age of 12. Her passion is designing for middle-aged women who still want to look amazing and edgy.

First Impressions: Can she be my mom? Linda looks so cute and I love how she wants to bring modern fashion together with wearable designs for a slightly older generation. She understands her own weaknesses, seems to be open to critique, and wants to grow in her design abilities.

Mah-Jing Wong

Overview: Mah-Jing is from Philadelphia and is 28-years-old. He understands how to dress women's figures in a flattering way. He says that he is unsure of any weaknesses he has and enjoys working in teams. He describes himself as very hardworking.

First Impressions: Mah-Jing seems very calm and easy to get along with. His designs are fun, cute, and Barbie-like. I am concerned that he can't name any design weaknesses. Everyone has their weaknesses! I am interested to know if he is strategically hiding them or genuinely has not discovered them yet.

Nathalia JMag

Overview: A 23-year-old designer from Framingham, Massachusetts, Nathalia has always dreamed of being on Project Runway. Her design strengths are in outerwear and ready-to-wear. She enjoys creating separate pieces rather than dresses or jumpsuits.

First Impressions: I didn't know I wanted pink hair, but after seeing how fierce Nathalia looks, I definitely want pink hair. I'm so excited to see a designer who specializes in outerwear, because when outerwear is executed well, it is glorious. I wonder how well Nathalia will do in the competition because of her weakness in creating gowns. Gowns are a huge factor in Project Runway.

Rik Villa

Overview: Rik is a 31-year-old hailing from Los Angeles. He has excellent construction skills and has been designing and tailoring since the age of 13. He has run his own business for the past 5 years and believes his work ethic will help him in the workroom. He occasionally over-designs and finds it hard to compromise.

First Impressions: He looks like a comic book villain and I love it. Rik comes across as a little high-strung and uncompromising, but it may turn out to be a strength for him. I will be patiently waiting to see him show off those construction skills this season.

Roberi Parra

Overview: A 32-year-old from Miami, Roberi has studied fashion in Venezuela and London. He describes himself as a focused and technical individual. He admits to getting stuck in "research mode" on occasion. Despite seemingly having the makings of a "lone wolf" designer, he actually enjoys working with others and collaborating.

First Impressions: Roberi is adorable. I'm not sure I can recall a past designer on Project Runway who has been so interested in the technicalities of fashion. Sure, there have been very well-educated designers, but Roberi is interested in learning the technicalities in order to experiment with them and push the boundaries. He's going far; I'm calling it.

Sarah Donofrio

Overview: Sarah is 34 and from Portland. Like Alex, Sarah is also a fashion teacher. She enjoys "repurposing" old trends and making them relevant again. She is good at creating garments in short amounts of time and can easily create sellable clothing. However, this has also proven to be a weakness, as she sometimes chooses wearability over ingenuity.

First Impressions: She seems like a designer who knows her own strengths. She also appears to be able to adapt to different challenges easily. However, I wonder how well she is going to be able to execute avant-garde and high fashion looks, since her background is primarily in ready-to-wear.

Tasha Henderson

Overview: Last but not least, Tasha is a 33-year-old designer from Shreveport, Louisiana. Tasha learned to sew from her mother and has no formal design training. She enjoys creating pieces that are the building-blocks of a great outfit. She often designs with her husband and her designs pack a punch on the runway.

First Impressions: Can we hang out, Tasha? She comes across as a fun person to be around. Also, it's so cute how she designs with her husband. Tasha will be a great team asset. She may begin as someone who is underestimated by the other designers, but I believe she will quickly rise to the top.

And, of course, we can't forget the judges and fabulous mentor.

Heidi Klum

Nina Garcia

Zac Posen

Tim Gunn

Final Thoughts

I'd like to quickly organize my thoughts as well as make some (very) premature predictions on the top contenders for the season. If I get them completely wrong, feel free to make fun of me. But if I'm right, I told you so.

These will be ~~highly biased~~ based on my personal favorites.

Top Designers: Alex Snyder, Brik Allen, and Roberi Parra

Going Home Soon: Jenni Riccetti, Ian Hargrove, and Erin Robertson

So, there you go! Who are your favorite and least favorite designers so far? What challenges do you hope the judges bring back? Are you ready for season 15?!

Monday, September 26, 2016

Episode 1 Photo Gallery

Episode 1 Sneak Peak

Sunday, September 25, 2016

Episode 1: "An Unconventional Launch Party"

Season 15, Episode 1: "An Unconventional Launch Party"

Saturday, September 24, 2016

Project Runway Season 15 Contestants