“Project Runway” returns this week with a new judge and two contestants vying to bring the top prize home to the Detroit region.
Season 22 of the reality competition begins at 9:30 p.m. Thursday, July 9. Episodes will air weekly on Freeform (and stream the following day on Hulu and Disney+).
New to the lineup is Tyra Banks as a recurring judge, who’ll be joining returning judges Heidi Klum, Law Roach and Nina Garcia. Christian Siriano is again mentoring the contestants. Guest judges include Ciara, Kiernan Shipka, Niecy Nash-Betts, Ice Spice and more
And those potential fashion design superstars? Two of the 22 competitors are ready to make the Motor City proud: Jeffrey Kelly Abess, who hails from Dearborn, and Aaron Potts, who is from Detroit.
Recently, they shared personal details, style philosophy and hometown pride via email with the Free Press.
Jeffrey Kelly Abess
QUESTION: What influence did growing up in Dearborn have on your sense of style?
ANSWER: Growing up in Dearborn had a huge influence on me. My mom, Rhonda, was a big influence as well — she worked as a seamstress for the Radio City Rockettes, so I was exposed to a world of glamour from a young age. Seeing the costumes she worked on and the level of detail and craftsmanship that went into them really inspired me. Dearborn itself is such a diverse city with a strong Middle Eastern community, and I was surrounded by people who weren’t afraid of glamour, beauty and dressing with intention. That appreciation for detail and luxury definitely shaped the designer I am today.
Q: Who were your early fashion icons?
A: First, my mom, who was the ultimate fashion girl to me growing up! I was also inspired by designers who weren’t afraid to make a statement. Thierry Mugler, Jean Paul Gaultier, Alexander McQueen, Bob Mackie and Christian Siriano all influenced me in different ways. I also admired celebrities like Cher and Lady Gaga because they viewed fashion as storytelling. I love creating pieces that make someone feel unforgettable the moment they put them on.
Q: What’s your fashion origin story?
A: I’m self-taught. I didn’t go to fashion school or work under a major designer. I learned by doing. Before becoming a full-time designer, I competed in pageants, where I started making my own costumes and formal wear because I wanted something unique. One client turned into another, and eventually I was creating custom pieces for celebrities, recording artists and contestants on shows like “RuPaul’s Drag Race.” My partner, Eric, and I built Jeffrey Kelly Designs from the ground up in central Florida without a fashion district or even local fabric stores. Everything we’ve accomplished has come from determination, creativity and hard work.
Q: Who would be your dream client?
A: Ariana Grande has always been a dream client because she blends elegance with a playful, modern edge, and I’d love to create something iconic for her stage presence. I’d also love to design for Kim Kardashian because she understands fashion as both image and influence, and she isn’t afraid to push boundaries. Designing for either of them would be an incredible opportunity to create something unforgettable.
Q: What’s your drama level on “Project Runway” from one to 10 (with 10 being Faye Dunaway as Joan Crawford in “Mommie Dearest”)?
A: As for my drama level, I’m probably at a three. I’m competitive and passionate about my work, but I came to compete, not create drama. If emotions come out, it’s because I care deeply about what I’m making, not because I’m looking for conflict.
Q: What’s the Motown/Michigan artist song you’d choose for a New York Fashion Week runway show?
A: I’d choose “Lose Yourself” by Eminem. It’s about believing in yourself when the pressure is at its highest and that’s exactly what fashion — “and Project Runway” — feels like. Every runway is your one shot to prove yourself.
Q: You’re stranded on a desert island with Heidi Klum, Law Roach or Nina Garcia. Who would it be and why?
A: I’d choose Law Roach. He’s incredibly creative, resourceful, and has an amazing eye for style. I feel like we’d spend the whole time coming up with crazy fashion ideas — even if we had to make clothes out of palm leaves. Plus, I think he’d keep things entertaining.
Q: Why should you win “Project Runway”?
A: I should win “Project Runway” because I represent what’s possible when talent, perseverance, and passion come together. I’m self-taught. I built my business from nothing, and I’ve been able to dress some of the biggest names in entertainment while working from central Florida. I push myself creatively every single day, and I never settle for average. Winning “Project Runway” wouldn’t just validate my work — it would open the door to everything I’ve spent years building. I want to show people that you don’t have to come from a fashion capital or follow a traditional path to make an impact in this industry.
Aaron Potts
Q: What influence did growing up in Detroit have on your sense of style?
A: I contend that Detroit is one of America’s greatest creative capitals. Fueled by the innovation of the automobile industry, the visual and audible storytelling of Motown, the glamour and theatricality of COGIC (Church of God in Christ) fashion and music, the youth culture of “The New Dance Show” and “The Scene,” the birth of techno and a vibrant arts community, the city has also produced fashion luminaries including Tracy Reese, Kevan Hall, Donyale Luna, Lor & Dor, Anna Sui, Veronica Webb, Robin Givhan, and John Varvatos. Immersed in that creative ecosystem, I found my own voice through fashion.
Q: Where are you based now?
A: I’ve called Brooklyn (New York) home for more than three decades, with chapters in Munich, Germany, and Irvine, California, along the way. But Detroit will always be my first love.
Q: Who were your early fashion icons?
A: My earliest fashion influences ranged from Diana Ross, Whitney Houston, Lynda Carter, Teddy Pendergrass and Stevie Nicks to beauty pageants, the “what they wore” pages of the National Enquirer and Star, Detroit’s local dance TV shows and the impeccably glamorous women of COGIC church services. Together, they shaped an eclectic visual vocabulary that continues to inform my work.
What’s your fashion origin story?
Although I loved art and fashion from an early age, I discovered them as a career path while attending Renaissance High School. There, teacher and mentor Ms. Oni Akilah — a legendary figure in Detroit’s art, education and fashion communities — became one of the most influential people in my life. After studying at Parsons School of Design and interning with Marc Jacobs, Donna Karan and Tracy Reese, I went on to design for Emanuel Ungaro, Anne Klein, Victoria’s Secret, Badgley Mischka, Escada and other leading fashion houses before launching A.Potts. Willi Smith and Patrick Kelly are my forever fashion heroes.
Q: Who would be your dream client?
A: Throughout my career, my designs have been worn by an extraordinary range of artists, cultural leaders and public figures, including Queen Latifah, Janet Jackson, Lauryn Hill, Usher, Amy Sherald, Alan Cumming, Jill Scott, Questlove, Ledisi, Ciara, Djimon Hounsou, first lady Michelle Obama, Angela Davis, Joy Reid, Taraji P. Henson, Angela Bassett, Vivica A. Fox, Tracee Ellis Ross, Jennifer Lopez, Jennifer Lawrence, Jennifer Hudson and supermodels Naomi Campbell, Cindy Crawford, Karlie Kloss, Heidi Klum, Alek Wek, Melanie Landestoy, Alva Chinn, Alana Zimmer, and others. I still pinch myself. My wish list includes Diana Ross, Zendaya, Mahershala Ali, Billie Eilish, Rama Duwaji, more Michelle Obama — and, perhaps most of all, the everyday creative professionals whose work quietly shapes our culture.
Q: What’s your drama level on “Project Runway” from one to 10 (with 10 being Faye Dunaway as Joan Crawford in “Mommie Dearest”)?
A: I didn’t go on the show to create drama. I went to represent a side of the fashion industry that is too rarely seen — one rooted in generosity, encouragement,and community. I believe that’s what both fashion and the world need more of right now. My approach has always been to lead with love while never being afraid to speak with conviction when it matters.
Q: What’s the Motown/Michigan artist song you’d choose for a New York Fashion Week runway show?
A: I will absolutely use “Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone” by the Temptations in a runway show. It is early pop-funk GENIUS and one of my favorite songs of all time. The kids can absolutely PUMP to that bass line.
Q: You’re stranded on a desert island with one of the judges — Heidi Klum, Law Roach or Nina Garcia. Who would it be and why?
A: I love them all, but if I were stranded on a deserted island, I’d absolutely choose Law. We could spend the days talking about fashion history, great design, our inspirations and what it was like growing up as young Black boys in great chocolate cities while chasing the lives we dreamed of. That said, this deserted island definitely needs a five-star resort!
Q: Why should you win “Project Runway”?
A: Winning “Project Runway” would affirm that experience, excellence, and kindness still matter. I hope to be an ambassador not only for the show, but for an industry in which success and generosity can coexist—and where lifting up the next generation is a joyous part of the job.
Contact Detroit Free Press pop culture critic Julie Hinds at jhinds@freepress.com.
‘Project Runway’
Season 22 premiere
9:30 p.m. Thursday, July 9
Freeform (and streaming the next day on Hulu and Disney+)
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: 2 metro Detroit designers compete on new season of ‘Project Runway’
Reporting by Julie Hinds, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Julie Hinds, Detroit Free Press | USA TODAY Network
