Project Runway Season 6 Makes Debut on Lifetime in August

The much anticipated return of Project Runway kicks off on August 20, 2009 on the Lifetime Network. The sixth season of Project Runway starts out with sixteen designers all competing to show off their unique fashion sense and design expertise on the various weekly challenges thrown their way.

This year's contestants include fashion designers with diverse backgrounds from across the nation. You can get to know each of the designers before the season kicks off on the Lifetime Network web site. Complete biographies and images showcasing their fashion style are available for viewing.

The sixth season of Project Runway features a good mix of college educated and self-taught designers. Contestants include Althea Harper, 26, a recent fashion designer graduate from Dayton, Ohio. She states her strengths as creativity, taste level and drapery. Ari Fish, 26, from Kansas City, Missouri, has a diverse background which includes working as a gardener, barista, and copy clerk. As a graduate from the Kansas City Art Institute, Fish feels her strengths as a designer are in her attention to detail, quick sewing and creativity.

Irina Shabayeva, 27, from New York, NY, holds a BFA from Parsons School of Design and has worked in the fashion industry. She loves working with jersey and silk fabrics. Johnny Sakalis, 30, West Hollywood, California is a graduate from the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising. Ra'mon Lawerence Coleman, 31, Chicago, Illinois received design training the School of the Art Institute in Chicago. His sleek designs and creative vision are likely to get him far in the sixth season of Project Runway.

Logan Neitzel, 26, from Seattle, Washington, holds an associate degree in fashion design. His strengths lie with his edgy design and rock-inspired looks. Louise Black, 32, from Dallas, Texas is obtaining technical training from El Centro College and has been selling her designs online since 2001.

Malvin Viens, 24, from New York, NY holds an A.A.S. in fashion design from Parsons. He is his own favorite designer and his favorite style icon is the farmers of rural China. Mitchell Hall, 26, from Savannah, Georgia is a fashion design graduate from Savannah College of Art and Design and feels his strengths lie in draping and contemporary women's fashion design. Nicolas Putvinski, 27, from New York, NY has a design training background which includes FIT and training at the Izquierdo Studio. His broad portfolio includes designing the Victoria's Secrets wings and is definitely a designer with potential to go far during this season of Project Runway.

Qristyl Fraizer, 42, New York, NY holds a B.F.A. degree in fashion design and feels her strength is draping and is inspired by vintage and couture fashions. Shirin Askin, 24, from Richardson, Texas holds a B.F.A. in fashion design from the University of North Texas.

Several self-taught designers round out Project Runway Season 6 group of talented designers.

Carol Hannah Whitfield, 24, is inspired by her favorite designers Valentino and Oscar de la Renta. From Charleston, South Carolina, Whitfield is a self-taught designer who learned how to sew from her mother and feels her design strengths include being able to quickly understand garments from a construction point of view. Also from Charleston, South Carolina, Gordana Gehlhausen, 45, owns her own shop and is self-taught.

Other self-taught designers include Christopher Staub, 30, from Shakopee, Minnesota. His designs are clean and fresh and he finds inspiration in the fabric he is working with. Another talented designer with great potential is Epperson, 50, of New York, NY who loves layers and feels his strength is the freedom to reengineer fabric.

The contestants on the sixth season of Project t Runway are definitely going to entertain viewers with their talent and designs. The final three contestants will be able to show their designs at Fashion Week in New York with the winner taking home $100,000 to start their own design label.

Sources: mylifetime.com