#Meg project runway full#

What or whom has had the biggest influence on your work/career: My biggest influence is my “tribe” of people that’s been rocking with me since day one. How would you describe your design aesthetic? My design aesthetic is a vibe, a moment, a look-I’m not tied in one box. What quality/qualities do you feel will set you apart from the competition? I call B.S when I see it! I’m a realist and observant and laughing at all at the same time. What has been your biggest success so far? Earning my masters in fashion design.

What has been your biggest challenge as a designer? And what has kept you going? The biggest challenge is being told “no” and that if I’m a Black designer I’m only good at “streetwear' but my resilience and confidence in knowing who I am has kept me going. What prompted you to try out for Project Runway? I just felt like it was time to introduce the world to “Zayden” with looks and moments I can bring to the runway. When did you know you wanted to become a designer? At a very early age, I just had a strong interest in constructing and building something from nothing.

#Meg project runway full#

Meet the full cast below, and tune in to Bravo at 9PM on October 14th for the season premiere.Ī version of this article appears in the December/January 2021 issue of ELLE.Ĭurrent base: Atlanta, and first made you fall in love with fashion? My mother, grandmother and aunts were the epitome of beautiful Black women in fashion, which made me fall in love. “I wanted to set an example for him that with persistence and hard work, he can do anything he sets his mind to,” she says. Mexico City native Coral Castillo, who grew up watching her mother sew, applied to the show several times, inspired by her young son. “They were the epitome of beautiful, fashionable Black women,” says Skipper, who notes that one of his biggest career challenges to date has been “disproving the notion that a Black designer is only good at streetwear.” For Kenneth Barlis, who was raised on a military base in the Philippines, fashion provided a valuable outlet for individuality in a sea of uniforms.

As a kid in Chicago, Zayden Skipper was inspired by seeing what his mother, grandmother, and aunts wore. “There were people lined up around the block to see my collections.” Today, Aguilar has come a long way from making custom prom dresses and ’90s clubwear for friends: He’s one of 16 hopefuls on the 19th season of Project Runway, all vying for a grand prize of $250,000 (supplied by Pilot FriXion Erasable Pens) to fund their lines.Īguilar isn’t the only one who fell in love with fashion at a tender age. 'I started putting on runway shows in high school,” says Passaic, New Jersey, native Octavio Aguilar.