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Season sixteen of Project Runway celebrated models of all sizes, and this fresh inclusivity inspired creative excellence among the sixteen chosen designers. The finale saw the remaining four competitors, Margarita Alvarez, Brandon Kee, Ayana Ife and Kentaro Kameyama showcase their ten piece collections at New York Fashion Week, which succeeded in not only embracing plus-sized models, but also the culture and heritage of the diverse four.
Alvarez showcased her collection ’Fish Out of Water,’ overwhelming the judges and audience with vibrancy, passion and prints. Her Puerto Rican heritage is celebrated throughout her detailing, with the colourful city landscape and emphasis on movement prioritised. Creating a memorable moment for her collection, Alvarez’s model Jazzmine Carthon tore away her sarong to reveal a sexy swimsuit, complementing her figure to an applauding audience, engrossed in the vitality and confidence shown by Carthon. An oversized dress featuring an embroidered fish was a stand out piece for me, ultimately representing Alvarez’s individuality, sincerity and dedication to her youth. Even though Alvarez exhibited immense growth throughout the competition, she finished in an admirable fourth place.
Season front runner Brandon Kee’s collection then took the runway by storm, invoking youthful innovation with streamlined fabric and challenging silhouettes. Titled ‘Layers of Love’, Kee fully embraced the femininity of a young woman, while still adhering to his masculine style. A soft, neutral palette of warm creams, beiges and oranges complimented the ‘bandage’ detailing common to his work. Unfortunately, lack of expansion on his viewpoint and fabric choice ultimately saw him finishing in third place.
Season sixteen of Project Runway also saw an acceptance of religious freedom in fashion, as modest designer Ayana Ife continually showed the judges and the viewers, that women can feel comfortable in their own skin without having to show it. Her collection, titled ‘Evolution’, drew inspiration from her tumultuous journey in reaching Project Runway. Panel judge Zac Posen puts it perfectly when he notes that “[Iife’s] truly representing a whole community of women who are often ignored in the fashion industry.” A cool palette of earthy tones represent the appreciation of nature that is important to Ife. Her collection showcased many facets of her design ability, by implementing casual wear, sportswear and even a stunning gown, embroidered with pale green lace, to close the collection.
Kentaro Kameyama truly mesmerised the audience when his self-composed soundtrack began to play on the runway, creating a poetic atmosphere for his collection to thrive in. Inspiration taken from his Japanese heritage created daring silhouettes, and the selective addition of colour mimicked the plucking of cords of the music, making his collection a wonderfully visceral experience. A stunning red dress with a plunging neckline and ruffled hem contrasted perfectly with a nude pleated skirt shown before. Kameyama’s dedication to the representation of material was shown beautiful in the final look, which showcased a white dress cased in crumpled tulle, which was certainly breathtaking.
The finale came to a climax when Kentaro Kameyama was announced the winner of season sixteen of Project Runway, with Ayana Ife finishing as runner-up. This season’s Project Runway was arguably the best in recent years, as the four designers were not only daring and innovative, but expressed a clear appreciation for their heritage, which allowed them to transcend the time constrictions placed on fashion.
