Liris Crosse breaks silence on 'Project Runway' controversy

Liris Crosse got praised for taking a stand after the Project Runway controversy.

Liris worked as a model on Project Runway season 22 in 2026, where her runway look was made from electric cords and a garbage bag, which eventually left her uncomfortable, and she later publicly spoke about it on YouTube.

Now, speaking with People magazine, Liris revealed the reason she spoke about the matter. “This is our livelihood. This is our art. What we do is art. And it’s really important for us to stand boldly in our humanity and have people respect us for what we do.”

She went on to say, “Sometimes you have to do the uncomfortable thing. And once you do that, that empowers other people who are around you to then speak up for themselves.”

She also revealed how other models reached out to thank her for talking about it, “Other models have hit me and said, ‘Thank you for saying we’re humans. Thank you for speaking up about this because this made me feel more comfortable that I could do that if I were ever in a predicament about anything.’ I’m considered a pioneer within the plus modeling industry. I know a lot of times I may have to fall on the sword first for the change to happen, but if it takes me doing it because it will help the next generation of models, then so be it.”

As the designer Bryan Barrientos was the one behind her criticised look, the model clarified that “I know that the show is a pressure cooker and a lot of things can happen. I don’t feel like Bryan is some evil person, but it still doesn’t change that things could have been done a lot differently and better.”

She further shared that designers and show’s producers contacted her and “They were hurt that I went through that situation.”

“Talked about how much they appreciate me and being a part of the Project Runway family,” she further noted.