We hope you’ve practiced your runway walk because Project Runway is back for an all-new season! The Emmy® Award-winning reality competition series has made an undeniable impact on television in the more than two decades since it premiered—and season 21 is a stylish refresh that fans are sure to love. This season, contestants will be tested with tough design themes, drama between designers, and challenge deadlines shorter than a mini skirt.
The series kicks off Thursday, July 31, with a two-episode premiere, the first of which will be of particular interest to Disney fans. Season 21’s twelve designers will be split into two rival fashion houses—one which will design looks fit for the Disney Princesses and the other that will take inspiration from Disney Villains. “New House / New Rules” sets the tone for the rest of the season, serving looks, drama, and the kind of high-caliber television Project Runway is known for. The premiere’s second episode, “Feel the Burn,” is sure to make the designers sweat as they create multipurpose athleisure looks amidst major shakeups in their fashion houses.
Fans of the series and its international spinoffs will recognize some familiar faces amidst this season’s lineup of designers. Fifteen years since his first appearance on the show, Project Runway season 7 alum Jesus Estrada will join his twin brother, Antonio Estrada, for another opportunity. Meanwhile, Estrada is joined by fellow former Project Runway contestant Caycee Black as she brings her whimsical style from season 19 back to the runway; and Season 21 also features Veejay Floresca, the bridal and ready-to-wear designer that placed third on Project Runway Philippines. Nine other hopeful designers will join these three alums as they all “make it work” on season 21.
The competition will be fierce, but perhaps not as fierce as the people guiding the contestants… Supermodel and Emmy® Award-winning host Heidi Klum returns to the runway this season. Project Runway was Klum’s first foray into hosting and producing on television, so returning to the show has been an experience she describes as “coming back home.” She is joined by judges Nina Garcia, editor-in-chief of ELLE magazine; Law Roach, celebrity stylist; and Christian Siriano, award-winning CFDA designer and Project Runway season 4 winner. As influential figures in the world of fashion, the judges—Garcia returns from seasons past, and Siriano was previously a mentor—have a keen eye for what it takes to succeed both on Project Runway and in the fashion industry… so don’t expect them to hold back!
The first two episodes of Project Runway season 21 premiere July 31, available on Freeform, Disney+, and Hulu.