Why This Black Model’s ‘Project Runway’ Experience Left Her With A ‘Broken Spirit’

Liris Crosse, a plus-sized model who took part in the current season of “Project Runway,” is speaking out about her experience on the show. And while the idea of strutting down the runway in gorgeous garments might seem like a dream, unfortunately, her experience on the show wasn’t all glamorous. In fact, she’s speaking out about how it left her spirit “broken.” Let’s break down why.

According to Crosse, the negative shift occurred during the recently aired episode seven, when designer Bryan Barrientos opted to make a dress from heavy electrical cords and a trash bag instead of the bubble wrap he had originally planned. For context, the theme of the design challenge was designing with unconventional materials with a “technology theme.”

However, Crosse felt Barrientos’ design was “careless,” as he chose to use the trash bag during the last few moments of the competition after she expressed discomfort walking down the runway in just her undergarments and electrical cords. Now, in a lengthy video posted to YouTube, she’s opening up about how the experience made her feel.

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“I had no clue that was the garbage bag he had on the ground when he was spray painting some of the cords. But if you go back to the episode, you can see there is spray paint on the plastic bag I’m wearing,” she explained.

“He was like, ‘We don’t have much time. What am I going to do?’ That’s when the whole taping thing started. So, he starts to tape me up,” she said. “And truthfully, in my heart of hearts, in that moment, I almost didn’t really care about the fact that he was taping me up because I did not want to go out there in my bra and panties.”

Noting that there were other “lackluster designs” on this season of the show, Crosse went on to express her disappointment that her designer didn’t make the dress with her body in mind.

“It just felt thoughtless. It felt like he just had no idea. It felt careless. It felt lazy. My spirit, in that moment, was broken,” Crosse said.

She added that the experience sparked a conversation about how designers should be able to find inspiration and design for fuller bodies, no matter the challenge.

Despite the fixes Barrientos tried to make, he was ultimately unsuccessful as his design received heavy criticism from the judges, with guest host Iman specifically calling out how “miserable” Crosse looked wearing the dress. Thankfully, some good came out of the experience, as Crosse said she’s received a lot of love from viewers who validated her feelings.

“My heart was broken that day, but it has been filled by so many of the Project Runway viewers who have backed me up and shown so much love with their messages of support,” she said.

Barrientos has yet to respond to Crosse’s video. Watch her full video below.