One of my earliest memories of watching Project Runway was when I was in 10th grade. From my bunk bed, I saw a statuesque model who was wearing a cool city slicker outfit. She was wearing a lime green tank top and patterned black and white pants--her naturally kinky hair further supported the outfit's carefree vibe. As I saw an ethnically ambiguous model stomping down the runway with a defiant expression on her face, I knew that Project Runway was going to be the show for me.

Project Runway is exemplary because it proves that fashion can be enigmatic, trans-formative, empowering, mind-boggling and simply magical.

Fast forward to the seventh season of Project Runway that features designer Seth Aaron. In my opinion, the black and white abstractly printed jacket with the asymmetrical collar is his signature look. The model's strawberry blond hair with curled under bangs gave the look a sort of sixties mod rocker look. Furthermore, the jacket was unconventional because it had high shoulders and was form fitting so it reminded me of a strait jacket. Overall, Seth Aaron created a look that was enigmatic and magical because it defied classification. It looked kooky but it was high fashion because it was well tailored. The jacket popped out of the runway as if someone requested a badass unique and flattering coat.

You can view the jacket here on the Pinterest Page entitled Fashion Geek: https://www.pinterest.com/z0mb13g33k/fashion-geek/

Another designer on Project Runway that had a magical and transformative moment on the runway is Mondo Guerra. During one particular season eight episode of Project Runway, I teared up when he designed high-waist pink satin pants with a bold plus sign pattern as a way to announce to the world that he was HIV positive. His pants were pink, yellow, and black-- the colors of power and vulnerability. I wonder if he chose to make the plus signs black because he wants to remain strong in the face of his disease. At the same time, the background of his pants was a deep pink hue and he chose to outline the plus signs on his pants in yellow. Pink is the color of internal organs and vulnerability. Yellow is also a color that is a symbol for vulnerability. Overall, the fitted pants were trans-formative and empowering because they were a means for Mondo to discuss his HIV status with the larger community. After Mondo designed the pants, he had the courage to tell the judges, his family, and the viewers of Project Runway that he was HIV positive. Therefore, the pants were yellow, black, and pink because Mondo used his vulnerability to empower him to live his own truth.

You can view this bold look here on this webpage: http://starcasm.net/archives/67183

Yet another designer that proved that fashion can be transformative, magical and enigmatic is the designer Kini. During the "rainway challenge,” in which the designers had to make outfits that were both avant-garde and compatible with rain, he created a sleek and sexy look that made use of the structure of umbrellas .Specifically, he created a black long sleeve turtleneck with sleek and form fitting black gloves. He even added a black leathery necklace that gave the outfit a lady-like vibe. Furthermore, the bottom of the outfit resembled an umbrella that was taken down and turned upside down to dry. This part of the outfit boggled my mind! The skirt was appropriate because it utilized the natural pleats of an umbrella in order to create a long, elegant, and structurally prominent pleated skirt. He even topped the look with a hat that was shaped like an open umbrella as it hugged the model's sleek hairstyle! This look was truly avant-garde because it was one of a kind. I cannot recall ever seeing an outfit that had the working parts that this outfit had. Kini's fabric choice made the outfit fall into the category of "sexy dominatrix.” However, the cutout choker, the elegantly flattering gloves, the turtleneck long sleeve top, and the swanky skirt gave the outfit a touch of high society.

You can try to take in this phenomenal look by clicking on this link: http://www.honolulupulse.com/2014/09/fashion-tribe...

Finally, I cannot end this piece without breaking down Edmond's magically empowering and mind-mind-bogglingly amazing wedding dress! For the unconventional materials challenge during this current season of Project Runway, Edmond designed a modern wedding dress out of various white cards. The bodice of the wedding dress had depth and dimension because it was made out of a collage of white cards in varying shades of white. As Nina Garcia said, “it gave the dress depth" .Indeed, the dress had a sheen as the off-white card pieces gave the bodice a satiny and expensive look. Cards that cut out to resemble large pieces of tulle designed the bottom of the dress. This added lightness, whimsy, and volume to the classic bodice of the wedding dress. I also appreciated how the large card pieces on the bottom of the dress were cut out like large curved teardrops. Along with the cutout card pieces that were dolloped on the tulle-like portion of the dress to resemble feathers, the teardrop shaped card pieces that comprised the bottom of the dress gave the look a romantic vibe. In addition to the commendable construction of the dress, he updated the symbol of the wedding dress because he created a high-low hemline out of the greeting cards! Therefore, the wedding dress instantly became playful and flirty because the model's legs could be shown off.

Overall, Edmond created a meticulous wedding dress that called on almost all of the virtues of fashion. It was fun. It was flirty. It empowered the model because it was a cool and unconventional wedding dress. It was transformative because the judges wanted to wear it. It was overwhelming to imagine the amount of effort and craft that it took to create the look. Ahem, he made a red and green rose bouquet out of cards to compliment the look! Most importantly, he proved that he understood the demands of the challenge because he utilized the Hallmark Signature logo on the bodice to sell the brand of the card that he used to make his dress. The dress is enigmatic and magical because it is in a class all of its own.

You can view this wonderful dress by clicking on this link: http://tamaratattles.com/2015/08/14/project-runway...

Overall, Project Runway is a reality show that celebrates the craftmanship that all designers have. To be a successful designer one must possess a wide variety of technical skills to play with shape, proportion, materials and patterns. With these looks, Seth Aaron, Mondo Guerra, Kini and Edmond showcase these technical skills and prove that craftsmanship is the fundamental design skill that drives a look.