‘Project Runway’ names Karlie Kloss host; judges are Nina Garcia, Brandon Maxwell, Elaine Welteroth; Christian Siriano is a mentor

October 10, 2018

Karlie Kloss
Karlie Kloss (Photo courtesy of Express)

The following is a press release from Bravo:

Bravo Media’s “Project Runway” has tapped supermodel and entrepreneur Karlie Kloss as the host along with former “Project Runway” champion and celebrated CFDA fashion designer Christian Siriano as the mentor for the newly rebooted Emmy Award-winning franchise. Kloss will also serve as executive producer. In addition, ELLE Editor-in-Chief Nina Garcia returns to the series, joined by famed fashion designer Brandon Maxwell and journalist and former Teen Vogue Editor-in-Chief Elaine Welteroth as judges. The announcement was made today by Shari Levine, Executive Vice President, Current Production, Bravo. The series is currently in pre-production and will premiere in 2019.

“As someone who grew up watching ‘Project Runway,’ I could not be more excited to host and produce a series that provides a platform to aspiring American designers as they pursue their creative and entrepreneurial dreams,” said Kloss, “I am equally as thrilled to work alongside an incredibly talented group of fashion innovators – Brandon Maxwell, Elaine Welteroth, Nina Garcia and Christian Siriano – to inspire, support and help guide these designers as they realize their visions and build everlasting brands and businesses.”

“‘Project Runway'” has offered such wonderful opportunities for so many and I’m excited to take on this role as a mentor,” said Siriano. “I hope to guide and inspire the new talent on the rise.”

“These are the perfect faces for the new ‘Project Runway,’ as we recalibrate for a new generation of fashion enthusiasts,” said Levine, “They are entrepreneurs and trailblazers with tremendous reach inside and outside the fashion industry, and give Bravo and our producing partners, Magical Elves and Lantern Entertainment, the right fuel to reenergize the franchise.”

Bravo launched “Project Runway” in 2004 where it continued airing through 2008. Magical Elves created and produced the first five seasons of the competition series for the network, and have returned along with Lantern Entertainment to produce the series once again. Dan Cutforth and Jane Lipsitz serve as executive producers for Magical Elves and Andy Mitchell and Milos Brajovic serve as executive producers for Lantern Entertainment. Karlie Kloss also serves as an executive producer for the series. For more information on the show, please visit: Bravotv.com/project-runway. Fans can check out the official Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ProjectRunwayBravo/

Bios:

Karlie Kloss is an American supermodel and entrepreneur. Originally from St. Louis, Karlie has shot campaigns and walked for top designers including Marc Jacobs, Oscar de la Renta, Alexander McQueen, Brandon Maxwell and Versace. She is also the face of numerous international campaigns for brands that include Estee Lauder, adidas, Carolina Herrera and Express. Outside of modeling, Karlie is the founder of Kode With Klossy, a nonprofit that empowers girls to learn code and become leaders in tech. Now in its fourth year, the organization hosts free, two-week summer coding camps where girls aged 13 to 18 explore concepts in front-end and back-end software engineering. In 2018, Kode With Klossy hosted 50 free coding camps in 25 cities across the country, providing scholarships to 1,000 young women. An Oath board member and TIME 100 honoree, Karlie is the newest host of Bravo Media’s Emmy award winning series, “Project Runway.” Karlie shares her experiences hosting, filming, modeling, coding and traveling through her YouTube channel, Klossy.

Christian Siriano, following his studies in London, Christian Siriano launched his namesake label and first Spring and Fall collection in 2008. The collections are shown each season at New York Fashion Week, and presented in New York and Paris to retailers. Dubbed “the new king of old-school glamour” by Elle and “the next billion-dollar designer” by Yahoo! Style, his designs have appeared on the world’s biggest stars and most prestigious red carpets. He has dressed the likes of Angelina Jolie, Julianne Moore, Amy Adams, Janet Jackson, Jennifer Lopez, Oprah Winfrey as well as the First Lady Michelle Obama. In April 2018, Siriano was named among Time’s 100 Most Influential People in the World for being an advocate for body inclusivity and runway diversity in the fashion industry. He is the youngest person to ever appear on the Crain’s “40 Under 40” list, was included on Forbes’ “30 Under 30” and most recently appeared in Variety Magazine’s New Power of New York list. He was named “Designer of the Year” at the 2016 AAFA American Image Awards, won the Couture For A Cause “Designer of the Decade” award that same year, was awarded the Inspires Award by the National Eating Disorder Association in 2017 and most recently received the 2018 Bottomless Closet Fashion Award by the non-profit organization which helps guide disadvantaged NYC women enter the work force and achieve success. He just celebrated his ten year brand milestone with a photographic retrospective on his work with Rizzoli Books in late 2017, titled Dresses to Dream About, which has now gone into its second printing. He most recently opened a new store, The Curated NYC. A retail destination for the modern shopper, the eight story townhouse is steps from Fifth Avenue and also houses his office and atelier.

Nina Garcia is the editor-in-chief of ELLE and has been a judge on “Project Runway” since it launched in 2004. Beyond her notable work in over twenty years within magazines, she also entertains an adoring global fan-base and an active following, making her an elite authority on fashion. As such, she serves as a style expert on programs including Today, Good Morning America, The View, CNN and more, and has been a celebrity red carpet correspondent for programs like ABC’s Oscar telecast. She’s written four New York Times bestselling books on style and has received numerous accolades including the Fashion Group International’s prestigious Oracle Award, the Hispanic Federation’s Individual Achievement Award, the Oliver Scholars’ Program Champion of Educational Excellence Award and The Daily’s Magazine of the Year Award.

Brandon Maxwell launched his eponymous luxury women’s ready-to-wear label in New York in 2015. The brand was born out of the desire to make women feel beautiful, sophisticated and powerful by creating timeless garments that are impeccably tailored. With a focus on craftsmanship, the entire collection is designed in New York City. As a child, Maxwell was captivated by the immaculately-dressed women who passed through the Longview, Texas boutique where his grandmother worked and where he spent a lot of time in his youth. He went on to study photography at St. Edward’s University in Austin and began assisting stylist Deborah Afshani in 2009, followed by Edward Enninful and then Nicola Formichetti in 2010. Brandon was awarded the 2018 Woolmark New York Semifinal Prize Award, 2016 Fashion Group International Rising Star Award for Womenswear, the 2016 CFDA Swarovski Award for Womenswear, and was named a finalist for the 2016 LVMH Prize. His brand is worn by iconic women such as Michelle Obama, Meghan Markle, Lady Gaga, Oprah and more.

Elaine Welteroth is an award-winning journalist, thought leader, and the former Editor-in-Chief of Teen Vogue. Throughout her meteoric 10-year magazine career, she broke new ground as the youngest person and only the second African-American ever to hold the Editor-in-Chief title in Condé Nast’s 107-year history. In this role, she brought social consciousness to the pages of Teen Vogue and transformed the teen title into a credible news source. Previously, she held senior roles on the mastheads at Glamour and Ebony Magazine, and in 2012 she became Conde Nast’s first ever African-American Beauty Director. She’s now a leading expert, advocate and voice for the next generation of change makers, bringing her fresh perspective to scripted and unscripted projects in TV. From writing on hit shows like “Grown-ish” to appearing on-air from ABC News to Netflix and “The View” to E!, Elaine continues blazing a career path that breaks the mold, inspiring a new generation of creative entrepreneurs.

Heidi Klum, Tim Gunn leave ‘Project Runway’ and start their own fashion reality show on Amazon Prime Video

September 7, 2018

by Yvette Thomas

Heidi Klum and Tim Gunn
Heidi Klum and Tim Gunn (Photo courtesy of Lifetime)

It’s the end of an era for “Project Runway,” the long-running talent contest for aspiring fashion designers. “Project Runway” hosts/judges Heidi Klum and Tim Gunn, who were with the show since its 2004 debut, have left “Project Runway,” and have announced that they are starting their own fashion reality show on Amazon Prime Video.  More details about their new show are to be announced. The press release from Amazon Prime Video is at the end of this article.

In May 2018, it was announced that “Project Runway” would be returning in 2019 to Bravo, the show’s first U.S. network. The 17th season of “Project Runway” will premiere in 2019 on Bravo on a date to be announced. Then in June 2018, Bravo announced that “Project Runway” was also bringing back Magical Elves, the production company that produced the first five seasons of “Project Runway,” which will produce the show with Lantern Entertainment. Magical Elves co-founders Jane Lipsitz and Dan Cutforth were named as the show’s new executive producers, but Klum and Gunn were not mentioned anywhere in Bravo’s announced reboot of “Project Runway.” It was a sign of things to come.

“Project Runway” debuted in 2004 in Bravo, and then moved to Lifetime in 2008, and stayed on Lifetime until 2017. The move to Lifetime was problematic, and resulted in lawsuits between Lifetime and Bravo that were eventually settled. While at Lifetime, “Project Runway” was produced by Bunim/Murray Productions, Miramax Television (from 2004 to 2011), The Weinstein Company (from 2005 to 2017), Heidi Klum Productions and Full Picture Entertainment. After the downfall of Weinstein Company co-founder Harvey Weinstein in late 2017, when he fired from the company after being publicly accused of sexual assault by numerous women, “Project Runway” distanced itself from The Weinstein Company, which later went bankrupt and sold to investor group Lantern Entertainment.

Tim Gunn and Heidi Klum (Photo courtesy of Lifetime)

Gunn started off as an advisor/mentor to contestants on “Project Runway,” and he was promoted in 2011 to co-host/co-judge the show with Klum, who was one of the show’s executive producers. Gunn also became a producer on the show in 2011. In 2013, Klum and Gunn won an Emmy for Outstanding Host for a Reality or Reality-Competition Program. “Project Runway” has also won an Emmy in 2009 for Outstanding Picture Editing for Reality Programming.

In a statement released in June 2018, Cutforth said: “We could not be more thrilled to return as the producers of ‘Project Runway.’ We built the series from the ground up with Bravo and it is part of the DNA of our company.”

Lipsitz added, “Dan and I have always loved ‘Runway’ so much and we can’t wait to return to it with a renewed creative energy. We are really excited to reflect some of the incredible changes that have happened in the fashion world since we last produced the series.”

Bravo also announced that its “Project Runway” reboot would have a grand prize of $250,000, the largest monetary prize so far for “Project Runway.”

“Project Runway’s” most famous winner is Christian Siriano, who won in the show’s fourth season in 2008. He has gone on to become a designer whose fashions are regularly seen at A-list celebrity events and shown at New York Fashion Week.

“Project Runway” Season 16 judges Zac Posen, Heidi Klum, Nina Garcia and Tim Gunn (Photo by Barbara Nitke)

Winners of “Project Runway” have also had their fashions featured in magazine spreads for Elle and later Marie Claire. It has not yet been announced if Marie Claire will continue its affiliation with “Project Runway.” It also hasn’t been announced if any of the show’s other judges will be part of the show’s reboot. Other “Project Runway” judges have included Marie Claire editor Nina Garcia and fashion designer Zac Posen. Fashion designer Michael Kors was a judge on “Project Runway” for the show’s first 10 seasons.

In the years since “Project Runway” debut, the show has launched several editions in other countries, as well as spinoff series.

The following is a press release from Amazon Prime Video:

Amazon Prime Video today announced it is developing a new reality fashion series from the recent Emmy nominated duo of Heidi Klum and Tim Gunn, which will premiere globally in over 200 countries and territories. While details remain close to the vest, the show will continue Klum and Gunn’s 14-year relationship and a commitment to making fashion accessible to a wide audience.

The series will be a fresh take in the reality space and will appeal to a global audience who are entertained by competition, storytelling, and authenticity. Additionally, Amazon Fashion will create a shoppable experience for viewers. This intersection of content, commerce, and technology is perfectly suited to the cord cutter generation and streaming consumers.

Over the years, Klum and Gunn, who previously won an Emmy Award in 2013, have enlightened viewers about the craftsmanship, talent and sheer dedication it requires for designers to take ideas from sketch to runway with many challenges along the way. They have used the narrative of fashion as a starting point to spark discussion and create conversation around the fabric of the stories they’ve told. Issues that have been explored include body positivity, inclusion, and diversity.

“After 16 incredible seasons, I am saying ‘Auf Wiedersehen’ to Project Runway, a show that I was honored to host and help create,” said Heidi Klum. “I am incredibly proud of the show, and it will always have a special place in my heart. I am so appreciative of the dedicated fans, and most of all, I am grateful that we could shine a light on creativity and help launch so many talented designers’ careers. I’m most excited that my journey with my dear friend and colleague, Tim Gunn, is far from over. We will be partnering with Amazon for a new show, and we’re excited for everyone to see what we’re designing next!”

Tim Gunn commented: “I am grateful to Project Runway for putting me on a path I never, in my wildest dreams, thought my career would take me! I am so proud to have been a part of the groundbreaking process that showcased talented young designers as never before. Most importantly, I am indebted to our incredible fans, they are the heart and soul of what we do, and continue to inspire us to raise the bar in this arena. I’m excited for them to see what’s next, as I partner with Amazon and Heidi Klum on our next great ‘fashion’ adventure.”

Jennifer Salke, Head of Amazon Studios, commented: “Heidi Klum completely changed the television landscape by developing a competitive reality fashion series that was unproven and different from what was popular on-air. The show became wildly successful, and in turn Klum and Tim Gunn have become an iconic pop culture duo. Their drive to deliver fashionably entertaining, engaging and trendsetting content speaks for itself, and we believe their next iteration in this space will find an even larger audience on our global Prime Video runway.”

 

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