Posen to judge ‘Runway’

Associated Press

NEW YORK

Zac Posen is in on “Project Runway” — he’ll be the new featured judge, filling the chair Michael Kors sat in for the show’s first 10 seasons. The season starts Jan. 24.

“This was an amazing opportunity,” Posen said. “I hope I’m here to give a new perspective to the designers.”

Kors isn’t “out” — as host Heidi Klum likes to say to the fashion-design contestants who get the boot on the granddaddy of fashion reality TV shows. His schedule didn’t allow a commitment, but he will come back as a guest judge for the season finale, according to a statement from Lifetime TV.

Posen said he learned from Kors. “When I was a guest judge, I saw he was always a generous, warm mentor.”

Posen’s best skill to offer the contestants is his sharp eye, he said. Craft and construction are among his passions, he explained.

It’s Klum’s role in the new lineup to bring the voice of the woman who might be the eventual customer. Nina Garcia, the fashion director at Marie Claire, has her editorial eye, and Posen analyzes the specifics of the design, he said.