Where Are Project Runway's Biggest Villains Now?

Reality TV has birthed some amazing villains over the years. From Tiffany "New York" Pollard to Johnny Bananas, there's something magical that happens when people are thrust into a high-stakes competition with no contact with the outside world and a tighter production schedule than a pair of skinny jeans. Of course, there's a fine line between being an iconic bad guy and someone viewers simply can't stand: You want to rock the boat just enough to cause a few waves, not trigger a whole controversial tsunami. When it comes to reality show rebels and outcasts, there are several contestants on "Project Runway" that undoubtedly come to mind.

The fashion-forward TV series features plenty of eyebrow-raising designers and stylists, whether because of their unexpected personalities, unconventional garments, or both. Out of all the reality competition shows out there, "Project Runway" is one of the more wholesome options — until a competitor lets things get to them, and not in a good way. Here are some of the most famous (or infamous, however you want to look at it) villains the show has ever seen, and what they're up to now.

Santino Rice, a finalist on "Project Runway" Season 2, provided a unique mix of entertainment, secondhand embarrassment, and annoyance. Rice's stark impression of Tim Gunn quickly became one of the most awkward things we've witnessed on "Project Runway," as was his unforgettable attitude. Throughout the competition, Rice had a tendency to talk down on the other designers, speak his mind a little too much in confessionals, and give attitude in the face of criticism. 

After "Project Runway," Rice gained additional fame as a judge on "RuPaul's Drag Race." He was a core judge throughout the competition's first six seasons and birthed some iconic "RPDR" memes, such as his astonished head shake during Latrice Royale and Kenya Michael's Season 4 lipsync routine. Rice left the show permanently after Season 7, which aired in 2015. Rice did not provide an explanation for his exit at the time. What has Rice been up to these past few years? As far as we know, Rice doesn't design clothes anymore, nor does he appear on TV. We're not sure how Rice makes money nowadays, but he does stay extremely busy on X. When in doubt, Rice can be found commenting about American politics and societal problems as a whole. 

Jeffrey Sebelia, the winner of "Project Runway" Season 3, definitely stood out from the rest of the competition. Sebelia never tried to shy away from sensitive topics and was quick to speak his mind, but his lack of filter didn't make a good impression. During one challenge, Sebelia infamously made Angela Keslar's mother cry. Sebelia was then accused of cheating right before the finalists showcased their collections at Bryant Park. In the years since, Sebelia has become one of the most unrecognizable "Project Runway" winners. Sebelia abandoned the clean-cut look for a thick mustache years ago, which has since transformed into a pretty magnificent beard. Sebelia also faced some work-related hurdles in the late 2000s: His Cosa Nostra clothing line fell through in 2009, as did his job as the costume designer for the live-action film "Bratz" (2007).

Currently, though, Sebelia works as the design director of Urbane & Gallant, a luxury menswear brand founded by Andrew Park. Sebelia joined Urbane & Gallant in January 2025, which the company announced on Instagram. "With over 25 years of mastery across couture, global fashion, and elite collaborations, Jeffrey exemplifies greatness and purpose in every creation," the caption stated. In July 2026, Sebelia showcased the brand's collection at Paris Fashion Week. 

"Project Runway" Season 8 featured several polarizing designers, with Ivy Higa being one of the most disliked among fans. Up until her elimination (and after), Higa showed off some pretty good designs. Unfortunately, her horrid treatment of Michael Costello overshadowed everything she brought to the table. By the end of the competition, Higa had branded Costello as a cheater and referred to him as "Satan." In 2009, a few months before "Project Runway" Season 8 began, Higa launched her first line, Ivy h. She showcased two collections at Ready-to-Wear's spring and fall 2010 fashion show.

After the show aired, Higa continued to work in design, both for herself and for other people, such as designer Zac Posen. She told Star Advertiser in 2011, "It hurt that people said I was a bully, because I would never bully anyone. I just happen to wear my emotions on my sleeve ... It's entertainment before anything else, and people watching at home didn't see everything that was going on." Higa, who grew up in Hawaii, currently resides in New York City. According to Higa's LinkedIn, she last worked for nearly a year as a senior designer for G-III Apparel Group. She previously worked as the creative design director for Mag Apparel USA. As her page lists, she volunteers at organizations like Free Arts NYC and Father's Heart Ministries.

Ven Budhu made some of the most iconic outfits in "Project Runway" history in Season 10. That said, he also went down in history as one of the series' most infamous villains. Budhu's aura was naturally haughty throughout the competition, which was an automatic turn-off in itself. When Budhu was assigned a model with size 14 proportions during a challenge, however, he didn't try to hold back his displeasure whatsoever. Budhu openly criticized the participant's appearance so much that she cried.

For all the "Project Runway" fans out there looking for information on Budhu, we have bad news: We've scoured pretty much every corner of the Internet and have come up with nothing. We have no idea what Budhu did post-show or what he's up to now, but here's what we do know: People apparently still don't like him (insert Dumbledore and Snape's "After all this time?" "Always" exchange here). "Rewatching this season right now ... Still upset that he treated her the way he did," one person commented on a 2012 Instagram post in 2026. Another user wrote in 2023, "Ven's comments about the beautiful model [are] so upsetting & I was so disappointed." We could keep going, but you get the picture. 

Ken Laurence certainly made an impression on "Project Runway" Season 12. At first, Laurence seemed relatively chill. However, whether he had true anger management problems or the competition just wore him down, Laurence slowly became full of rage. He got into multiple arguments and threw several tantrums as the series progressed; a particularly memorable tirade occurred after another designer moved his iron. To give Laurence credit, he did turn things around when he later appeared on "Project Runway: All Stars" Seasons 5 and 6. On both seasons, Laurence sported a better attitude than on Season 12. "The competition is harder than it appears to be on television," Laurence once admitted to Project Make It Work. "The hardest part for me was adapting to the production schedule; 18–20 hour work days bought the pressure, stress, and meltdowns."

If we had to guess, Laurence is still out there designing clothes; according to his website, he was featured in Marie Claire in 2014 and Essence Magazine in 2018. That said, the website is currently outdated, so we can't say for certain; the link to his brand redirect to a seemingly unaffiliated home and garden company called Seedsheets. To our knowledge, the only social media page that hasn't been deleted is Instagram, though it was last updated in 2024.

Claire and Shawn Buitendorp were two contestants who people loved to dislike (because "hate" is a strong word) in "Project Runway" Season 16. Were the twins really tried-and-true villains? Perhaps not, but they were certainly considered annoying. The Buitendorps were extremely co-dependent, which led them to eventually crash and burn: Shawn quit the show so Claire could continue in the competition, only for Claire to be immediately disqualified for allegedly cheating. 

In 2013, before the Buitendorps joined "Project Runway," they launched a fashion brand, Shock and Awww.  The colorful streetwear company is still going strong more than 10 years later. According to their website, they've dressed celebrities like Katy Perry and Kelsea Ballerini. They also partnered with J. Crew in 2017. Outside of fashion, the Buitendorps have spent the last couple of years doing home renovations: They joined Lakeland Remodeling, a company based in Michigan, in 2020. "The opportunity came out of left field but, if you think about it, in the grand scheme of the things we like to do, it totally makes sense," Shawn told the Lansing State Journal in 2024. 

Sergio Guadarrama was already generally known as the co-founder of Celestino Couture before he joined "Project Runway" Season 18. Guadarrama's designs were fine on "Project Runway," but his attitude was a complete disappointment. Guadarrama didn't do anything egregious, really, but he constantly put down the other designers and came off so arrogant that almost everything he said was overshadowed by it. Despite how poorly Guadarrama behaved on "Project Runway," Celestino (also styled CELESTINO) is still fully thriving — perhaps an example of how reality TV isn't for everyone. 

The sustainable fashion brand, which Guadarrama launched with his partner, Kade Johnson, has been featured in publications like Vogue and The New York Times. Celebrities they've dressed include Guerdy Abraira from "The Real Housewives of Miami" and comedian Aida Rodriguez. "The reason I came to 'Project Runway' was to make a change in terms of social issues, economic issues, and making the world a better place — and sometimes the full stories behind my messages weren't understood by the judging panel, or maybe my fellow contestants," Guadarrama told Bravo in 2020. "But my intentions have always been pure and positive. I really want to make the world a better place with what I love to do, which is fashion."

Kenley Collins finished in third place on "Project Runway" Season 5, though if the competition was a popularity contest, she probably would've been the first person eliminated. Collins wasn't terribly nasty or vindictive, but her constant backtalk and inability to take criticism rubbed people the wrong way. All these years later, "I wasn't going for elegance, Heidi!" remains in our minds rent-free.

Does Collins still design clothes? At this point in time, it's hard to tell. Collins does have an eponymous website, but only a few pieces are for sale at discounted prices; Collins is also featured as the model. As far as we know, Collins does not have any other lines and hasn't participated at any fashion events in recent years. Instead, Collins has found a new calling: selling homes. According to her Instagram, Collins is a real estate agent based in South Florida, and she also has three children. When Collins isn't trying to sell a property, you can probably find her talking about "Project Runway" and reality TV as a whole on her podcast, "Behind the Seams." 

Korina Emmerich's villain arc on "Project Runway" Season 13 was an interesting one. While we could argue that some of her gripes were valid, the way she went about airing them out was not. Emmerich's most infamous meltdown occurred after she lost a showdown challenge against Char Glover and was eliminated, though she made several complaints about her fellow designers before then. After "Project Runway," Emmerich launched EMME Studio, a slow fashion brand focused on sustainability and Indigenous recognition; Emmerich identifies as Puyallup. 

"Because [Natives are] so often put into a historical context, people think we don't exist anymore, that we're not on the other end of an email," Emmerich once told the National Endowment for the Arts. "We exist here and now, and I think now we're changing that whole narrative." In 2025, Emmerich co-founded Indigenous New York Fashion Week, the first of its kind. The organization celebrated its second event hosted in September 2026 and featured 30 Indigenous designers, as well as a completely Indigenous crew. Emmerich also co-founded Relative Arts, a community space located in New York City. 

Timothy Westbook, an early out on "Project Runway" Season 12, wasn't a TV villain in the typical sense; he didn't rip other designers a new one or get into any explosive arguments. Instead, Westbook went down in flames with one of the worst "Project Runway" looks of all time: He believed in sustainability so much that he deliberately sent his model down the runway in no makeup or shoes. He also burned plastic for another garment, which rubbed people the wrong way. 

"Season 12 of Project Runway was my lowest of lows," Westbook once admitted to Shoutout LA. He reaffirmed his passion for environmental and societal causes and added, "It is so reaffirming that my recent success was not on the back of a reality TV show but due to the merit and quality of my own work, creativity, and character." What "recent success" was Westbrook referring to? After "Project Runway," Westbrook launched TL Brooke Bridal, a couture brand focused, of course, on sustainability. According to his website, Westbrook crafts his looks out of various repurposed materials. TL Brooke Bridal has a showroom in Brooklyn, New York, and was featured in The New York Times in 2024. 

Gretchen Jones left everyone shook when she won "Project Runway" Season 8 over fan-favorite Mondo Guerra. Now, to be fair, it's not her fault that she won. However, Jones wasn't the nicest person during her time on the show, which didn't help matters. Like Ivy Higa, Jones frequently threw other designers under the bus and overly critiqued their designs. At one point, Tim Gunn even confronted Jones and called her manipulative and a bully. 

While Jones is one of those "Project Runway" winners you never hear about anymore, she seems to be doing relatively well for herself. In 2018, Jones launched the creative consulting brand Weird Speciality, which also doubles as a salon (the meeting in a large room type of salon, not the place to get a haircut). Jones' long roster of clients — though it's unclear whether they're former or current — includes Esquina Fitness, Mia Farrington, and REI. After "Project Runway," Jones founded an eponymous line and was the womenswear design director of Pendleton Woolen Mills. Those days are long over, though; Jones shut her line down in 2015 and hasn't designed anything since, at least as far as we know. "I loved it until I didn't," she explained to Chronogram. "It just wasn't fulfilling anymore."

Cornelius Ortiz was a 24-year-old Boston native when he competed on "Project Runway" for Season 15. Throughout the competition, Ortiz was disliked for several reasons: He talked the talk but sometimes struggled to walk the walk. He wasn't very nice to his fellow competitors and had a generally negative disposition. While Ortiz was a "Project Runway" contestant that Tim Gunn personally saved, the act didn't win over viewers at home. "I don't think I was throwing shade — I was just stating my opinion," Ortiz told Boston Magazine in 2016. "Me saying a couple of things is not going to kill you ... You should just take it with a grain of salt and move on." Ortiz also shared that he was looking to launch his own line in the spring as the season unfolded. 

From what we've been able to gather, whatever line Ortiz had in mind (see what we did there?) never materialized. That said, Ortiz seems to still be making clothes to this day. Unless we hear otherwise, he also appears to still live in Boston. While Ortiz's designs don't dominate headlines and aren't plastered in magazines, he did feature collections at Philly Fashion Week in 2017. Ortiz infrequently updates his Instagram with selfies and worldly travels over the years, with visits to the Netherlands, Mexico, and Greece.

Meg Ferguson is one of the few designers who quit "Project Runway" in the middle of filming. Ferguson left during her run on Season 19, which premiered in 2021. During a particular challenge, Ferguson got into it with fellow designers Prajie Oscar Jean-Baptiste and Kenneth Barlis over a model swap. By the end, the conflict derailed into name-calling, yelling, and accusations of cultural appropriation. Ferguson subsequently withdrew for mental health reasons, though her participation in the argument left no one with a favorable impression.

Ferguson, a member of the Cherokee Nation, continued to build her fashion career after "Project Runway." She designed costumes for "Reservation Dogs" Season 2 and "Retribution" (2023). Ferguson also worked on "Resurrection Road" (2025), though based on her Instagram, Ferguson spends most of her time traveling. While Ferguson is best known as a designer, she's on a journey to break into the entertainment industry as a screenwriter and filmmaker. In July 2026, Ferguson announced that she was a quarterfinalist for the Screenwriting Lab, a developmental opportunity offered by The Writers Lab. "For being the first script I've ever written — to even get this far is quite the feat," she wrote on Instagram.