
Image courtesy of Lifetime Entertainment Television by Barbara Nitke
The new season of Project Runway has been making headlines already and the season hasn’t even debuted yet. Racy billboard ads showing a phalanx of nude people clambering to get towards hosts Tim Gunn and Heidi Klum were banned by the city of Los Angeles for indecency.
No, the nudes aren’t the actual 16 designers competing in season 12. But Sara Rea, the show’s executive producer and show runner, said the image is a fitting tribute to all the drama in store once the season debuts at 9 p.m. this Thursday on Lifetime.
“The billboards weren’t supposed to be a tease on the season. But they fit the unpredictability and the real shockingness of what happens this season,” Rea said. “There’s lots of drama. [Viewers’] eyebrows will be raised. It’s a very fresh, new exciting season with lots and lots of drama.”
So, what’s all the drama about this season?
Rea said huge fights between contestants, emotional breakdowns and lots of twists and turns are all on the runway this season. “It’s not anything [the producers did]. This is just a very intense group, to say the least,” explained Rea. “We had some real characters, some eccentric people, and it’s a hot bed of emotion in that workroom every single day for some reason. “We never knew what would happen. The day can start cool and calm and you never know where things are going to go. They’re just very talented and passionate. This is very intense. I mean we have an emotional breakdown in episode 2 and you usually don’t get that until (episode) six or seven.”
That’s not to say that the producers aren’t introducing some changes for Season 12. Gone is the weekly team challenge format added last season that was almost universally panned by fans (via social media) and critics. Instead, designers will once again compete as individuals (although almost every season has included at least one team challenge).

Image courtesy of Lifetime Entertainment Television by Barbara Litke
Gunn, the longtime mentor for the designers, will have an increased role this season—sitting with the judges, providing them with background information about what went on in the workroom and advocating for the designers. In another major change, Gunn will also now have the power to bring back one contestant he feels was eliminated too soon.
“He’s very honest with the judges,” Rea said of Gunn. “He is the advocate for the designers and this is a way for him to share how he feels directly with the judges.”
The most important change may be that for the first time, as a regular part of the judging process, the judges will inspect garments close up in addition to the regular runway presentation. This was something previously only done when a judge specifically requested a closer look. “This is something that naturally evolved. The judges wanted to start getting closer looks at the clothes so we would do it when they asked,” Rea said.
Other changes being introduced this season include:
- New interactive onscreen chats during the show via playrunway.com each Thursday beginning at 9 p.m. EST
- A Superfan contest in which seven Superfans will be selected via video submissions to appear in an episode of the show
- Runway Redemption in which a designer from a past season will be selected through fan votes to get a second chance on Project Runway. That designer will be announced on Thursday’s premiere.

“Project Runway” judges Kate Bosworth, Nina Garcia, Zac Posen, and Heidi Klum.
Image courtesy of Lifetime Entertainment Television by Barbara Litke
Despite all of those changes, some constants remain. Klum will be joined by regular judges Nina Garcia and designer Zac Posen, who replaced designer Michael Kors on the regular judging panel last season. Kors, who according to Rea, was prevented from appearing again as a regular judge because of his busy schedule, will appear again as a guest judge. Other guest judges announced include actors Kate Bosworth, Sigourney Weaver, and Jesse Tyler Ferguson.
But as Project Runway fans know, the real stars are the designers who are tasked with producing garments, often within 24 hours. Taping began June 8; the last episode before the remaining designers were sent home to create their final collections was taped last week.
The high stakes involved with Project Runway are reflected in the prize package for the winner, estimated to be worth over a half million dollars. Prizes include $150,000 cash, $50,000 worth of technology from HP and Intel, a chance to design and sell an exclusive collection at Belk, a complete sewing and crafting studio from Brother Sewing and Embroidery; a fashion spread in Marie Claire; a $100,000 fabric allowance; a $50,000 styling contract with L’Oreal Paris, and a 2014 Lexus IS 350.

“Project Runway” season 12 designers, Helen Castillo, Jeremy Brandick, and Ken Laurence
Images courtesy of Lifetime Entertainment Television by Barbara Litke
Given the stakes to say nothing of the attention Rea was asked if perhaps some of the Project Runway drama was more manufactured made-for-television moments than actual reality. She insisted that everything on Project Runway is unscripted. The designers, she said, aren’t playing to the cameras either.
“I think the audience is sophisticated enough to know if someone is trying to play something up. The b.s. meter goes off when someone is trying to play it up. I don’t think this group is trying to be dramatic. I think they can’t help themselves,” she said. “Everything here is 100 percent real. We don’t need to tell them what to do or how to act. We put them in the situations and let them do and act as they will. We never ask them to say or do anything. It’s a hard and fast rule that I have: the moment we get involved in what they say or do we lose the integrity we have. We don’t want these designers to say anything but their own thoughts. That’s why we chose them. Our job behind the cameras is we just follow what happens. I don’t think you can make this stuff up.”
So who’s competing this season:

Image courtesy of Lifetime Entertainment Television by Barbara Litke
Besides the still-to-be-named designer from a past season, the season 12 designers include a hearing impaired architect/artist, an art gallery curator, a makeup artist turned Broadway costumer, and a former professional dancer turned fashion designer. Here’s the list of all of the designers for season 12:
Alexander Pope, 38 – Hometown: Los Angeles, CA; resides in New York, NY
Alexandria von Bromssen, 38 – Hometown: Stockholm, Sweden; resides in San Mateo, CA
Angela Bacskocky, 33 – Hometown: Richmond, VA; resides in Richmond, VA
Bradon McDonald, 38 – Hometown: Lowville, NY; resides in Los Angeles, CA
Dom Streater, 24 – Hometown: Philadelphia, PA; resides in Philadelphia, PA
Helen Castillo, 25 – Hometown: Weehawken, NJ; resides in Union City, NJ
Jeremy Brandrick, 41 – Hometown: Birmingham, England; resides in New York, NY
Justin LeBlanc, 27 – Hometown: Tampa, FL; resides in Raleigh, NC
Kahindo Mateene, 34 – Hometown: Goma, Democratic Republic of the Congo; resides in Chicago, IL
Karen Batts, 29 – Hometown: Boca Raton, FL; resides in Queens, NY
Ken Laurence, 24 – Hometown: Birmingham, AL; resides in Birmingham, AL
Miranda Kay Levy, 29 – Hometown: Wilton, WI; resides in Milwaukee, WI
Sandro Masmanidi, 28 – Hometown: Krasnodar, Russia; resides in New York, NY
Sue Waller, 45 – Hometown: Boston, MA; resides in Brooklyn, NY
Timothy Westbrook, 24– Hometown: Wanakena, NY; resides in Milwaukee, WI
— Karyn D. Collins
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