Project Runway: Christian Siriano to Serve as Mentor in Tim Gunn’s Absence — Who Else Is Returning?

A couple of familiar faces are joining Heidi Klum when Project Runway returns this summer for Season 21, now on Freeform.

Christian Siriano and Nina Garcia are both returning to the franchise, alongside new judge and fashion trendsetter Law Roach, Disney announced Monday.

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Siriano (who was the winner of the show’s fourth season) originally replaced Tim Gunn as the designers’ mentor in 2018 after Klum and Gunn both departed for Prime Video’s Making the Cut. Garcia, who is the editor in chief of the U.S. edition of ELLE, has been a judge on series since it launched in 2004.

Newcomer and celebrity stylist Roach is best known for working with clients such as Zendaya, Céline Dion and Anya Taylor-Joy. He served as a judge for Seasons 23-24 of America’s Next Top Model, before guest-judging on Project Runway in Season 20. Roach also serves as a rotating judge on RuPaul’s Drag Race.

The new season of Project Runway — which was first announced in October — begins production Monday, and will air on Freeform weekly this summer. Episodes will then be made available for streaming on Disney+ and Hulu shortly after. Additional special guest judges will be announced at a later time.

Although Klum is back as host, her cohort Gunn will not be back. Gunn says Klum reached out to him to see if he was interested in joining her, and he was: “Of course, there’s not a moment of hesitation in me.” But months went by, and he didn’t receive a contract offer when Klum did, so Gunn called his agent. “He contacted the executive producers of this new show, and they said, ‘We don’t want him,’” Gunn recalls. “So I wasn’t asked back.” The producers did offer Gunn to make a cameo, but he turned that down: “As Heidi would say, you’re either in or you’re out. And I’m out.”

Will you be watching Project Runway‘s return? Let us know in the comments.

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