Former Project Runway champ Christian Siriano is strutting his way back to the very show that launched his successful career as a fashion designer… and he’s bringing supermodel Karlie Kloss with him!
Bravo announced this week that the Season 4 winner will serve as the show’s mentor when it returns for a new season next year.
“‘Project Runway’ has offered such wonderful opportunities for so many and I’m excited to take on this role as a mentor,” the designer said in a statement. “I hope to guide and inspire the new talent on the rise.”
Christian’s new gig will actually be his fifth in the ‘Project Runway’/‘Project Runway’-spinoff family. In addition to his victorious season as a designer, he has also served as a guest judge on the series as well as a judge on Project Runway: Threads and Project Runway Junior.
As The Ashley previously told you, ‘Project Runway’ OGs Heidi Klum and Tim Gunn have said “auf wierdensehen” to the long-running fashion reality show after 16 seasons and will not be a part of the upcoming season. Instead, they will star on a new fashion-centered reality show for Amazon Prime Video.
(Longtime judge Zac Posen has announced his departure from the show as well, though it does not appear that he’ll be making the move to Amazon with Tim and Heidi.)
While Christian is set to fill Tim’s designer-label shoes as the new ‘Project Runway’ mentor, supermodel Karlie Kloss has been confirmed to take over hosting duties for Heidi. (Karlie will also serve as an executive producer this season.)
“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,” Karlie said in a statement.
Filling the judges’ seats for Season 17 will be fashion designer Brandon Maxwell, journalist and former Teen Vogue editor-in-chief Elaine Welteroth and returning judge and Elle editor-in-chief, Nina Garcia.
According to Bravo, the series is currently in pre-production and is set to premiere in 2019.
RELATED STORY: Heidi Klum, Tim Gunn & Zac Posen Announce They Are Leaving ‘Project Runway’
(Photos: Bravo, Fernanda Calfat/Getty Images; Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images)
5 Responses
Decent choices for replacements for Tim Gunn and Heidi Klum. Obviously no one can replace these two, but the show at least stands a chance now.
PS to Christian: Keep your politics to yourself!!!
Having Christian replacing Tim Gunn just might work. I considered this show to be done, but he just might be able to pull this off. Don’t know any of the other people (except Nina) and don’t really care about them. I never like Heidi anyway so I don’t care about liking her replacement. I do like Nina so I’m glad she’s coming back.
Christian is and will always be (next to Chris March who I hope recovers completely!) one of my favorite designers on the show! Great call! I don’t really know Karlie but I think it will be hard to replace Heidi regardless.
Christian Siriano is a great choice for mentor, but Karlie Kloss as host? I can’t stand her voice in that obnoxious Wix ad…ugh……could be better….