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After a long hiatus, Project Runway is finally back for Season 21, filled with twists that will keep contestants on their toes. In the updated version of the reality TV show, viewers will notice some changes, not the least of which is the return of Heidi Klum, as well as a new judge, Law Roach.
Law is extremely well known in the fashion industry for dressing A-list celebrities like Zendaya and Celine Dion. In his early appearances on the reality TV show, however, he’s proved to be extremely cut-throat as a panel judge.
Law Brought Contestant Jesus Estrada To Tears On The Runway
In the first episode of Season 21, the contestants are asked to do a challenge inspired by Disney. Half the cast is assigned a princess theme, while the other is assigned a villain theme. Each group is meant to design a cohesive collection that pulls inspiration from the studio’s classic films.
One of the contestants, Jesus Estrada, competed on an early season of the show nearly 15 years ago, and he approaches the competition with a strong sense of confidence, determined to win this second time around. For the first challenge, however, Jesus got tough feedback early on from mentor Christian Siriano.
Christian pointed out that the cocktail dress Jesus had crafted felt too simple, like something an assistant could make in “30 minutes,” pushing him to pivot with his design. In his final look, Jesus sent a dramatic floor-length coat with a belt down the runway, covering up the short dress he’d started with.
When it came time for judging, the panel appeared confused about how Jesus’ look fit the theme. While some of them liked elements of the design, Law voiced his distaste for it:
I hated it. I was the only one. I was out-judged. I didn’t just hate the coat. I hated the entire look.
When Jesus began to double down and defend his look, Law pressed further, calling him out for being insecure and even saying that the contestant was being disrespectful. Jesus ended the runway judging in tears, but thankfully he made it through to the next week of the competition.
Law Didn’t Let Up In Episode 2
While Jesus was able to turn things around for the Week 2 challenge, this wasn’t the case for some of the other cast members. For the second challenge, the designers were supposed to create wearable athleisure looks, but some of them went way over the top, once again missing the mark for the assignment.
Once again, while some of the judges seemed puzzled watching the runway show, Law appeared genuinely angry about what he was seeing. As the judges conferred on their own, he used harsh wording again, noting that he felt like seeing bad designs go down the runway was a waste of his time:
I do not want to be a part of a judging panel where everybody gets a trophy. It was really f****** bad.
One bright spot so far in the season has been the change of heart that Law has had towards Jesus. In the second week, Jesus came back with one of the strongest looks, perhaps fueled by the harsh feedback of the previous week, forcing Law to take back some of his words.
“You shut me up,” Law joked, referring to Jesus’ look that he loved. “And that’s not an easy thing to do.” The following week, Jesus came through with another strong look, and Law had to admit that he had shut him up for a second time. As the season wears on, it seems like Law is clearly the one to impress.
Project Runway
- Release Date
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December 1, 2004
- Network
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Lifetime, Bravo
- Directors
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Rich Kim, Ariel Boles
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Diane von Fürstenberg
Self – Judge
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Heidi Klum
Self – Guest Judge
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Selma Blair
Self – Audition Judge
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Roberto Cavalli
Self – Co-Host / Mentor