“Project Runway” is back this July, and fans of the show may be sorry to see that Michael Kors won’t be back full time, but other tucks and trims might be more satisfying.
Sixteen new designers will compete for the grand prize, including a designer from seasons past chosen by fans on the Lifetime website. While Heidi Klum, Nina Garcia and Zac Posen are back as well as mentor Tim Gunn, it’s Gunn who will be getting a twist. He’ll be sitting in on the runway shows so that judges can suss out who’s a behind-the-scenes troublemaker, plus he’ll even get a chance to save a designer during the season. This may be a result of what happened last season, when Michelle Lesniak Franklin claimed that it was Gunn who begged the judges to keep her when she faced elimination. Franklin went on to win the competition.
Seven fans will also be featured in an upcoming episode this season. Viewers will also be able to interact with other fans through the PlayRunway interactive on-screen feature, allowing them to voice their opinions for the episodes, challenges and eliminations.
Guest judges this season include Michael Kors, Kate Bosworth, Kelly Osbourne, Allison Williams, Sigourney Weaver, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Kaley Cuoco and Stacy Keibler.
The designers competing this season are:
· Alexander Pope, 38 – Hometown: Los Angeles, CA; Resides in New York, NY
· Alexandria von Bromssen, 38 – Hometown: Stockholm, Sweden; Resides in San Mateo, CA
· Angela Bacskocky, 33 – Hometown: Richmond, VA; Resides in Richmond, VA
· Bradon McDonald, 38 – Hometown: Lowville, NY; Resides in Los Angeles, CA
· Dom Streater, 24 – Hometown: Philadelphia, PA; Resides in Philadelphia, PA
· Helen Castillo, 25 – Hometown: Weehawken, NJ; Resides in Union City, NJ
· Jeremy Brandrick, 41 – Hometown: Birmingham, England; Resides in New York, NY
· Justin LeBlanc, 27 – Hometown: Tampa, FL; Resides in Raleigh, NC
· Kahindo Mateene, 34 – Hometown: Goma, Democratic Republic of the Congo; Resides in Chicago, IL
· Karen Batts, 29 – Hometown: Boca Raton, FL; Resides in Queens, NY
· Ken Laurence, 24 – Hometown: Birmingham, AL; Resides in Birmingham, AL
· Miranda Kay Levy, 29 – Hometown: Wilton, WI; Resides in Milwaukee, WI
· Sandro Masmanidi, 28 – Hometown: Krasnodar, Russia; Resides in New York, NY
· Sue Waller, 45 – Hometown: Boston, MA; Resides in Brooklyn, NY
· Timothy Westbrook, 24- Hometown: Wanakena, NY; Resides in Milwaukee, WI
· Runway Redemption Contestant
Project Runway returns 9 p.m. July 18 on Lifetime.
Will you be watching “Project Runway” this season?