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Christian Siriano Is Ready to Give "Tough Love" as Project Runway's New Mentor
"It is really hard to keep my opinions to a minimum," Christian Siriano said.
When Project Runway returns to Bravo for Season 17 on Thursday, March 14 at 8/7c, a new batch of 16 designers will be put to the test with the most epic challenges ever. From flash sales to fast fashion to a special Elton John challenge inspired by the upcoming movie Rocketman, this season of Project Runway is more fabulous than ever before.
And the stakes are also higher than ever before in Season 17. Not only will the winner be crowned the Project Runway champion, but he or she will also take home an amazing bundle of prizes, including the largest prize in the show's history: $250,000.
Luckily, the designers will have the help of Christian Siriano as he steps in as mentor for Project Runway Season 17. The celebrated CFDA fashion designer is ready to guide the contestants to create the looks of a lifetime during the competition. "My mentorship style is a little bit more like I try to treat all the designers kind of how I treat my studio and my team. You know, it's tough love, but it's real critiques about fabrics and timing and what they can actually really do," Christian told The Daily Dish during an interview in New York City earlier this week. "Obviously, I've been there, and I obviously work in the business now, so I think I try to give as much advice as possible."
As you can see in the first look at Season 17 of Project Runway above, Christian doesn't hold back when it comes to giving feedback to the designers. In fact, he said he has found that's the best way to guide them toward success. "It is really hard to keep my opinions to a minimum. I don't always. It's hard to keep my ideas to myself because I'm a designer and sometimes I just want to get in there and drape with them. I want to work with them. But I know that I'm just a mentor, and I can't do their work for them, so it is a challenge," he said. "But I think in the end, my little hints definitely help and guide them. I'll be like, 'Do you really love that? Are you sure?' And usually they don't love it. And usually they're not sure. So they start over. It helps."
Be sure to tune in Thursday, March 14 at 8/7c to see Christian's design expertise in action. Check out a sneak peek, below.
