Stitch & Bitch: Meet the designers bringing the drama to Project Runway

NZ Herald

26 Sep, 2018 11:30 PM4 mins to read

Project Runway NZ cast. Photo / Supplied

BEAU TAKAPU

Age: 37
From: Auckland
Aesthetic: Classic, modern and clean combined with South Pacific heritage.
Fun fact: Ben once made a jumpsuit out of his mum's old bedsheets, decorated with blue glitter.

BENJAMIN ALEXANDER

Age: 23
From: Auckland
Aesthetic: Exaggerated minimalism – tailored clean lines and clean silhouettes.
Fun fact: Benjamin used to be a keen athlete and sportsman, playing competitive water polo and rugby. But he had to give it all up after he fell off a cliff and broke both the bones in his leg.

BETH HORNSBY-HUNT

Age: 31
From: Auckland
Aesthetic: Classic 50s silhouettes – think cinched waists and flared skirts.
Fun fact: Beth once used taxidermied ducklings as part of a fashion creation, sending a model down the runway with three ducklings on her head and another two perched on her shoulder.

CAITLIN CRISP

Age: 22
From: Christchurch
Aesthetic: Girly. Think frills, billowing cotton and resort styles.
Fun fact: My grandmother was a keen seamstress but I never got to know her as she passed away when I was two. My mum says I'm her reincarnated.

CAMILLE RICHARD

Age: 22
From: Auckland
Aesthetic: Statement pieces that incorporate weird shapes, sculpture, structure and organic lines.
Fun fact: Camille loves a bit of sparkle – so much so, she started her own handbag line to spread the sparkle far and wide.

JESS HUNTER

Age: 23
From: Auckland
Aesthetic: Playful: Jess likes to mix extremes, whether that be colour vs print or feminine vs masculine.
Fun fact: Jess works in a bridal dressmaking story and is used to dealing with tricky customers, including a bride who once decided she hated her dress – just three days before her wedding. In true Tim Gunn fashion, Jess and the team found a way to make it work.

JUDY GAO

Age: 24
From: Auckland
Aesthetic: Sophisticated, elegant, sexy and edgy.
Fun fact: Judy is self-taught and made her own dress for her high school ball. She is also a master chess champion.

KERRI RANGIHUI

Age: 33
From: Whanganui
Aesthetic: Clean, quirky and experimental with silhouettes and never afraid of a print
Fun fact: Most recently, Kerry has worked with Karen Walker as a pattern maker but before that he spent six years living on a dairy farm.

LENON WAKUWA

Age: 27
From: Invercargill
Aesthetic: Lenon's creations borrow feminine characteristics and are inspired by both the Victorian Era and his African heritage.
Fun fact: Lenon's design career was born out of frustration – after he couldn't find clothes that catered for gender fluid customers. As Lenon explains: "Nothing quite fit, it was either his or hers, but there was no middle ground."

MASSEY WILLIAMS

Age: 38
From: Christchurch
Aesthetic: Sporty and utilitarian.
Fun fact: Not such a fun fact but Massey's friends and family were less than supportive when he signed up to Project Runway, telling him to quit. Instead, it only galvanised his resolve to keep going.

MATT COSTELLO

Age: 26
From: Nelson
Aesthetic: Unisex underground streetwear, with lots of draping, layers and earthy colours.
Fun Fact: Matt claimed third place in the Hokonui Fashion Design Awards just six months after he began his design career.

MISTY RATIMA

Age: 40
From: Napier
Aesthetic: Unisex streetwear that mixes print, patterns and textures.
Fun Fact: Misty already has her own design label Te Kohu, which is the Māori translation of her name, Misty.

NICOLE SCHMIDT

Age: 28
From: Hawke's Bay
Aesthetic: Dark and whimsical with a punk rock twist
Fun Fact: When she's not busy being a full-time mum or designing clothes, Nicole likes to tell people's fortunes using tarot cards.

PENI MOALA

Age: 29
From: Arrowtown
Aesthetic: Inspired by Pacific culture, I like to take the traditional and fuse it with a modern twist.
Fun Fact: The first garment Peni ever made was a red mesh mini dress, hand-sewn onto a male mannequin.