When Project Runway first aired it became a global phenomenon. I would know—I sat in front of my TV back in my hometown of La Paz, Bolivia, and tuned in to every episode. I can still remember the names of my favorite contestants, and can still recall the promise of fashion superstardom that was outlined with the prize rewards at the beginning of each episode: a magazine spread, a show at the tents at Bryant Park during New York Fashion Week—the opportunity to become the next It-designer, the next, say, Michael Kors, who was the show’s star judge.

This was a different time. In 2004, when the show first aired, the ins-and-outs of a career in fashion had not yet been put into focus by movies like The Devil Wears Prada (2006) or TV shows such Ugly Betty (2006). Yes, Tim Blanks and Els

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