What These Eight 'Project Runway' Winners Have Been Up To
Now with 19 seasons broadcast on television, Project Runway is undoubtedly the longest-running fashion reality show. Since its debut in December 2004, fashion designers have had a platform to showcase and compete, where the winners get a chance to design a collection for New York Fashion Week.
Featuring Brandon Maxwell, Nina Garcia, and Elaine Welteroth as the judges, the competitions gets tougher and tougher. Close call wins are inevitable, and so are the dramatic incidences.
To reach the top, contestants have to follow certain predetermined set of strict rules to avoid elimination from the contest.
With a coveted a quarter-million-dollar prize, judges have built a reputation of being very careful to decide on the contestants who have to be eliminated. More so, judges decisions have always affected how fans relate to the show, and therefore precise and accurate decisions are always paramount.
For the winners, winning often has a very positive impact on their lives, as it means their designs are more appealing. Here are eight Project Runway winners and what they have been up to since the show.
8 Jay McCarroll Is A Fashion Teacher
Jay McCarroll was the first person to win Project Runway. Like the rest of the participants, McCarroll struggled to be recognized as a fashion designer.
After the show, McCarroll went ahead and launched a blog. He also opened a designer fashion boutique called The Colony by Jay McCarroll. He also teaches at Philadelphia University and has a fashion line at QVC.
In the film industry, Jay McCarroll has been a stylist in two short films, Red Skyes at Night: The Story of Flower, which debuted in 2016, and Fleur, which came out in 2017.
7 Christian Siriano Is Currently A Member Of The CFDA
Christian Siriano was 21 years old when he first joined the show and mesmerized judges with his unique designs. He became the youngest winner of the show at 23.
He has now risen to be the most successful designer to compete in Project Runway. His fashion line has been gracing New York Fashion Week every year since 2008.
He didn't stop there as he launched his first boutique in New York City in 2013, and one year later, he became a member of The Council of Fashion Designers in America (CFDA). It's safe to say Siriano is doing amazingly for himself, although some Project Runway fans have criticized his work as a mentor on the show.
6 Leanne Marshall Has A Read-To-Wear Collection
Since being announced as the winner for season 5 of Project Runway, Leanne Marshall has steadily grown in recognition as a fashion designer. Fans look forward to seeing her pieces every year at New York Fashion Week.
Marshall's ready-to-wear collection, including bridal, can be found at fine boutiques.
5 Irina Shabayeva Runs A Bridal Collection
Irina Shabayeva has been and is still successful in the world of fashion. After winning season 6 of Project Runway, Shabayeva runs a successful bridal collection.
She has also designed many couture dresses and ready-to-wear pieces. In 2015, Irina launched a lingerie collection and recently modeled in Rihanna's Savage X Fenty show alongside superstars like Bella Hadid and Demi Moore. She is also a philanthropist, and hence spends part of her time working with various charities.
4 Gretchen Jones Has Backed Away From Designing
Gretchen Jones was the winner of season 8 of Project Runway. After the show, she moved to New York City to work on her brand and ran her ready-to-wear women's line, Gretchen Jones NYC.
She also launched her line nationwide called Mothlove in 2010. Her amazing skills and work have continued to be featured in fashion magazines like Elle and Glamour. Currently, Gretchen Jones has moved away from designing and decided to focus on her career as a consultant instead.
3 Ashley Nipton Quit Designing To Focus On Her Wellbeing
After dazzling the judges with eye-catching plus-sized designs in Season 14, Ashley Tipton started designing for J.C Penney's plus-size fashion line and has done at least four collections. Apart from that, Tipton runs an apparel line from her website, and she created jewelry specially designed for plus-size women.
In September 2020, Nipton announced that she was moving from fashion to start her YouTube show called Love You. In the show, she explains how she fought depression to become more fulfilled and happy with how she looks.
2 Erin Robertson's Designs Have Been Featured In Many Magazines
Erin Robertson stunned the judges with her skills and choice of bold colors. After the win, she immediately launched her clothing line, An-Erin, which sold everything from T-shirts to winter jackets, and a mask collection launched in March 2020.
Robertson's work has been featured in high fashion magazines like Teen Vogue, Marie Claire, and Elite Daily. Erin also won the Council of Fashion Designers of America's Teen Vogue Scholarship.
Her most recent line is for a home nail dip kit, which eases doing a manicure in the comfort of your home.
1 Kentaro Kameyama Teaches In L.A.’s FCI Fashion School
The Japanese designer Kentaro Kameyama won Season 16 of the competition series. Kameyama wowed the judges with his minimalist designs.
Since leaving the show, Kameyama continued advancing his minimalist designs and moved into the manufacturing of film costumes. He also has a collection of designs in Paris and L.A.
Currently, Kameyama runs a website where people can find his ready-to-wear pieces. He recently became the chairperson at L.A.’s Fashion Career International School, where he has been a fashion teacher for a while.
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