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| Exclusive selfie for The Daily Affair with Project Runway Junior's Matt |
I’ve been
watching Project Runway since it first began, and I have never missed an
episode. The latest season featured teenagers who were vying for a spot to
show at New York Fashion Week to win a scholarship to FIDM in California.
Hosts/Judges Christian Siriano, Tim Gunn, Hannah Davis, Aya Kanai, and Kelly Osbourne
There were some
amazing hits and the usual misses – though these teens’ missteps were far
better than anything most of us could achieve. I saw plenty of looks that I
would be thrilled to wear, and the future of fashion definitely looks bright. (Bonus: Former Contestant Amanda Valentine made a guest appearance!)
Winner of PR Junior: Maya, who is... (wait for it) FOURTEEN. This kid is unbelievably talented.
What surprised
me most about this season was the vibe. Project Runway almost always has
someone who notoriously becomes “the villain” – there’s always that one person
who is hateful, or judgmental, or just plain unfriendly. Not so this season.
Peytie: Bothered by the Mean Girls "You Can't Sit With Us" T-Shirts and vibe at her school, she made shirts that said, "You Can Sit with Us", and a fashionista was born. (Side Note: I need every single piece from this kid's future collections)
What happened
was that a group of kids who share a common passion competed against each other
for a much coveted prize, while proving to adults that we can, in fact, all get
along.
Matt learned how to sew in elementary school, and is pretty much the most adorable kid ever! Told at one point by the judges that he and his team design partner took on too much in too little time, Matt handled this with grace. (I say keep shooting for the stars, kiddo!) When it was his time to go, he focused only on how much he'd miss his new friends. I just love teens like him.
Project Runway fans see exhausted contestants year after year. It's a tough competition, and it's impossible to get far without a strong vision and a boat load of determination. These contestants don't get much rest or downtime, and until this season, some of the emotionally charged designers took their frustrations out on each other.
Samantha manages to successfully bring Brooklyn and Basics together for her signature Tomboy Chic looks. I love her use of pockets.
I'm guessing these contestants got a bit more sleep - I imagine it was required by law for them to have shorter days. Even so, they also had schoolwork to deal with. Not to mention teenage hormones. And yet despite these factors, these kids handled the season with more grace and kindness than any other contestants thus far.
Zachary has been dubbed "an old soul". He has a gift for designing for a fashionista aged 30+
Project Runway (and seriously fabulous) Alum Amanda Valentine was on hand to mentor two of my faves, Matt and Zachary. Love me some Amanda!!
Basically, these teens have taught us that no matter what kind of pressure you might be under, you can still persevere AND be a decent human. And, of course, look fierce while doing so.
The Knicks City Dancers made an appearance for a recent challenge
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