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‘Project Runway’ Season 15 Designers: What Are They Doing Now? Latest Updates!

By Georgia Makitalo
Published on: 07:43 PST, Mar 13, 2017

Within the next few weeks, Project Runway will announce the casting call for Season 16. Soon, a new batch of unknown fashion designers will have to audition and convince Tim Gunn and the judges that they are a good fit for this high-paced reality show. Yet, it has only been three months since the Project Runway Season 15 winner was announced. What have the top 10 designers been up to since the show aired?

Banana loving, unconventional challenge queen Erin Robertson won Project Runway Season 15. Erin breezed onto the Lifetime show, stressing out poor Tim Gunn out with her last minute shenanigans, yet always creating her unique work that she describes as fun, as she explained to Boston.

“I would say my aesthetic is definitely more fun. It depends on what I do because I kind of work all over the place. Sometimes I like to just be silly, but then there are also times where I do add a bit more of a serious note to it.”

Her love of textiles and her power color yellow shot her to the top the first week, and she prevailed and became the season winner despite some huge obstacles. What might have soured fans on her was the heavily produced mid-season episode that showcased drama between Erin, her best friend on the show Dexter Simmons, and Cornelius Ortiz in a very cantankerous team challenge using the color red. Ortiz was eventually saved, but the next week, Derek was eliminated. Despite all, Erin prevailed and became the season winner.

She may be the most recent winner, but don’t expect to see an Erin Robertson show at NYFW anytime soon. Erin is going to take a different route in her personal fashion journey.

On her Instagram account, Erin revealed that she soon will sell some of her designs and T-shirts on her website. However, the 29-year-old designer does not appear to be planning to go the traditional route of a fashion designer. She told Metro that she doesn’t want to go the traditional route, not that anything is wrong with that.

“I was thinking about where I belong in the fashion industry and I don’t necessarily think I want to be part of exactly what the fashion industry is.”

Her vision is to focus on the future and on creating textiles.

“I don’t mean that in a bad way, I love fashion, obviously. But I want to be part of it more in the future of textiles.”

So, it should be no surprise that on her website, she states she is applying to MIT to study sustainable textile technology. This new technology, coupled with Erin’s love of textiles and her unabashed use of color, could mean that Erin might become a future leader in sustainable textiles.

Just a few years ago, Erin was named one of Boston Globe’s “Most Stylish Bostonians,” and the innovative designer is certainly going to do her best to make the word dress cool, with a lot of colors, cool embellishments, and Erin’s special brand of fun. According to her Instagram, she now has her own company that she has namedFruit Basket LLC.

“This has been a wild past couple of months getting a business started bu I’m excited to say that v soon I’ll have stuff for your to buy! #FruitBasketLLC #ceo”

It should be duly noted that there was a lot of buzz that Erin would win Season 15 of Project Runway, but what seemed to spoil it all was that Erin was the only designer from this season to be invited to Heidi Klum’s infamous Halloween party. Maybe they need to do a better job of not giving fans such big spoiler next season?

Roberi Parra was a close second in the finale of Project Runway. Just a year ago, Roberi left the economic woes of his home country of Venezuela and moved to the United States. Now, he is living the American dream and living in New York City. He auditioned for Project Runway just weeks after he arrived, and on the show, he slowly began to impress the judges.

Roberi explained to PRI that he wants to create fashion with that touch of fantasy to make people feel good in his clothes.

“You also need a big attitude because after all, it’s fashion and people want the fantasy and want to feel good with it.”

Roberi just showcased his recent collection of both men’s and women’s clothing, which he titled “Obliterate,” at NYFW.

Former model Laurence Basse blew viewers away with her “dope” leather looks and strong shoulders. The French-born designer calls Los Angeles home, and her trademark signature shoulders, tomboy looks, tailoring skills and lots of buttery leather wowed the usually critical judges and tv viewers alike.

So what is Laurence doing now? According to her active social media accounts, she is designing a lot of custom leather jackets, as well as a T-shirt line for men and women. She recently revealed to the Chic Spy that she is designing her own line of shoes. Laurence hinted that there is more coming, so stay tuned!

After a bit of a rough go during the black-light challenge, Rik Villa impressed the judges with his cool rock star looks and street style. His collection for the Project Runway finale included several gorgeous denim garments embellished by his Bladerunner-esque rock star looks.

Villa is not interested in going the old school route of “fashion week” and all of the accouterments that accompany the dated tradition. Instead, the LA-based designer has chosen to work digitally and use social media to communicate his brand message.

“I have no interest in the antiquated season system, buyer’s meetings and traditional merchandising. I have created a vibrant digital down line to communicate my designs and sales directly to my world-wide audience.”

Cornelius Ortiz’s design aesthetic is influenced by architecture and geometric shapes. Winner of the Marie Claire “Powerful Woman Challenge,” Ortiz demonstrated a new way for a professional woman to look using geometric shapes to embellish a more classic work dress. The result was amazing!

Early in the season, he was a big part of the Project Runway drama. He was aptly nicknamed “Cornelius from the Land of Shade” by fellow designer Alex Snyder who observed Corny’s snide remarks. After he was saved by Tim Gunn, Cornelius appeared quite humbled and his remarks mellowed as well. Yet, the animosity between Cornelius and Dexter Simmons proved immutable. The two designers are never ever never going to be friends.

Us Magazine revealed that at the reunion show, Cornelius insisted that his comments about other designers were from “love,” yet Dexter did not see it that way at all.

“Cornelius was himself, so it shows. He took any chance he could to get you off your game and that’s when the claws came out.”

Cornelius just recently showed a collection titled “Juxtaposition” for Fashion Week in Boston, his hometown.

Emotional denim king Mah-Jing Wong was a fan favorite. Son of Philly rap legend Bahamadia, Mah-Jing told Philly.com that he originally started out as a cartoonist, yet when a teacher noted his talent, he switched to fashion design. It’s a good thing he already knew how to sew, as his grandmother taught him. He recently showed a very 90s-inspired collection at Philly Fashion Week.

What did Mah-Jing learn on Project Runway? To trust his instincts.

“It taught me to stick to my guns. I’m a very spiritual individual. When God tells you to do something, listen. I second guessed myself too many times on that show like the Black Light Challenge. I started that design two different times and didn’t follow my original idea. I almost got eliminated that time.”

Dexter Simmons uses music to fuel his Goth-inspired vibe. Dexter showed his own signature shoulders once to a mixed reaction from the judges, but when he showed them a second time, he was sent home. Sadly, this was the week before the avant-garde challenge — the very challenge that he would have rocked. While the judges nixed his shoulders, it does sound like Dexter has met up with “an icon” who wants to wear the exaggerated shoulder look!

Back in December, the Inquistir reported that Dexter should have been at the site of the horrific Ghost Ship fire in Oakland. He had been heading to a rave there when he was luckily sidetracked. Most recently, Dexter has posted in social media that he has taken his business south from Oakland to LA, where there is sure to be a lot of music icons who will want to wear his dark and mysterious looks.

Nathalia JMag is the third Massachusetts designer who competed in the 15th season. the young designer told Boston.com that she creates “wearable avant garde with a futuristic vibe.” Memorable for her shock of pink hair and her cornucopia of jackets, Nathalia kept pushing forward despite the pressures of the show.

Nathalia has currently been very active showing her line in the Boston and surrounding areas.

Nathalia’s best pal, San Francisco-based designer Jenni Riccetti, has started her own line of clothing called Riccetti Clothing. She hand-sews all of her comfortable and chic clothing. On her website, she pays homage to her grandfather Alberto Riccetti, “a master tailor from southern Italy.”

Project Runway Season 15 had its own unicorn: Brik Allen. He entertained fashion fans with comments like “I am Brik. I like bricks.” Te described his style to the Advocate as being “eclectic, smart and bold.”

His rock star good looks and his quirky sayings made for some of the best Project Runway viewing in years. His skills are insane. Could he end up on Project Runway All Stars, where Georgina Chapman, Issac Mizrahi, and Alyssa Milano could possibly appreciate his quirky aesthetic?

Who was your favorite Project Runway Season 15 designer? Who did you want to win? Have you been keeping up with the designers since the season finale in December? Share your thoughts and favorite designers below!

[Featured Image by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images]

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