Christian Siriano Returns to Project Runway as the Competition's New Mentor
The Project Runway Season 4 winner is here to help find the next great fashion designer.
Christian Siriano is coming back to Project Runway! The famed fashion designer will return to the competition as mentor when it comes back to Bravo 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,” Christian said in a statement. “I hope to guide and inspire the new talent on the rise.”
Of course, Christian is a familiar face to Project Runway fans. He took home the top prize as the winner of Season 4 of Project Runway. He's also appeared as a guest judge on the series, as well as a judge on Project Runway: Threads and Project Runway Junior.
Supermodel Karlie Kloss was also announced as the new host, as well as an executive producer, of Project Runway Wednesday, along with returning judge Elle editor-in-chief Nina Garcia and new judges fashion designer Brandon Maxwell and journalist and former Teen Vogue editor-in-chief Elaine Welteroth. “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. “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.”
“These are the perfect faces for the new ‘Project Runway,’ as we recalibrate for a new generation of fashion enthusiasts,” said Shari Levine, Executive Vice President, Current Production, Bravo, in a statement. “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.”
Former Project Runway host Heidi Klum, mentor Tim Gunn, and judge Zac Posen announced their exits from the series in September. “Bravo is proud to bring Project Runway back where it all began, and Heidi and Tim will always be a huge part of the legacy," a rep for the network said in a statement at the time. "The series will continue its iconic impact with Bravo’s reboot for the next generation of designers and fans.”
Season 17 of Project Runway is currently in pre-production and set to premiere in 2019 on Bravo. "We are beyond excited to reboot Project Runway at the network where it all began. Leaning into the creative process in an entertaining way has always been part of Bravo's DNA, and 'Project Runway' perfectly captures that," Frances Berwick, President Lifestyle Networks, NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment, said in a statement in May. "This franchise will be an important cornerstone to complement Bravo's original premium scripted and unscripted slate, and we expect it to drive the same level of fan-dom and passion as we experienced last time it was on Bravo."
Check out more Christian, below.
