Heidi Klum is back in the spotlight with the highly anticipated return of "Project Runway" Season 21, airing weekly on Freeform and streaming on Hulu and Disney+ as of August 2025. The German supermodel and television host isn’t just making waves for her work on the show—she’s also drawing attention for her unusual health journey and the glamorous friendships she brings to the screen. Alongside her, a new class of designers, including Nantucket native Madeline Malenfant, are vying for a coveted spot in the fashion world, while celebrity guests and close friends like Sofía Vergara add extra sparkle to the season.
According to Access Hollywood, Klum recently shared candid details about a parasite and worm cleanse she’s undergoing with her husband, musician Tom Kaulitz. “I’m eating herbal pills which are like… clove because they hate clove and seeds from the papaya so it’s all-natural stuff. In any case, it’s not like I’m eating some chemicals to get these worms and parasites out, you know,” Klum explained. She didn’t stop there, describing the next stage of the cleanse with characteristic candor: “Apparently there is eggs that are being released, then you have to eat, you have to drink this mud, literally, tastes like cement… you drink this kind of cement-y stuff, because they hang on to this to come out, whenever that may be.”
This openness about her health regimen is classic Klum—frank, a little quirky, and always in good humor. But while she’s tackling wellness trends at home, she’s also gearing up for her annual Halloween party, teasing that she’s already begun work on her next iconic costume. Fans of her elaborate getups can rest assured: Klum’s creative energy is as boundless as ever.
Meanwhile, the fashion world is abuzz with behind-the-scenes moments from "Project Runway." One recent highlight: Klum and actress Sofía Vergara, best known for her role on Modern Family, stunned viewers and social media followers alike in matching yellow-themed ensembles for a special episode. According to InStyle, Klum wore a chartreuse long sleeve dress with statement feather cuffs, her hair styled in soft curls and makeup glowing with a glossy lip and fluttery eyelashes. Vergara opted for a pineapple-yellow suit paired with a merlot-red vest, her brunette hair sleek and straight, and her look finished with orange eyeshadow and a mauve-pink lip.
The duo’s friendship isn’t confined to the small screen. They’ve been spotted together at high-profile events, including the 2025 Vanity Fair Oscar Party in Beverly Hills. There, Vergara turned heads in a baby-blue gown with a plunging sweetheart neckline and sheer panels, while Klum dazzled in a pearl-colored, sequin-covered gown with a dramatic halter neckline and feathered shawl. Their glamorous appearances have become the stuff of fashion legend, with Klum even sharing a playful Instagram tease ahead of Vergara’s guest appearance: “Yiiiiiiiipppppiiiii 🥳🎉💖 @sofiavergara see u tomorrow on @projectrunway.”
Yet, at the heart of "Project Runway" is the designers’ journey—a journey that, for Madeline Malenfant, began in a tiny New York apartment and has now landed her on national television. As reported by Cape Cod Times, Malenfant, a Nantucket resident, brings a unique perspective to the competition. With a Bachelor of Fine Arts in sculpture and a Master of Fine Arts in fashion costume design from the London College for Design & Fashion, her work is deeply influenced by historical periods, especially the whimsical and sometimes dark humor of medieval imagery.
“I work a lot in the limitations,” Malenfant told the Cape Cod Times. “I try to use remnants of rolls, and it limits what you can make out of it. I’ll look at the fabric, be influenced by it, jot down a few sentences (she doesn’t sketch), then get to patterning.” Her signature? A logo featuring a rabbit wielding a sword—a nod to the “killer rabbit” illustrations of the Middle Ages, which she describes as “like an early comic strip of the medieval era.”
Her path to "Project Runway" wasn’t straightforward. Malenfant had just returned to Nantucket to work on a new collection when she received a message from the show’s producers. After a rigorous interview process, she was selected as one of 12 designers for this season. The competition is fierce: each episode challenges designers with tight budgets, limited time, and high expectations, all under the watchful eyes of host Heidi Klum, veteran judge and Elle Magazine Editor-in-Chief Nina Garcia, and designer Christian Siriano, who serves as mentor.
Malenfant’s first design—pants, a top with puffy sleeves and a big collar, and a bare midriff—impressed the judges. One likened it to sculpture, another praised the construction as “really good,” and a third remarked, “Whoever did this knows how to sew.” For Malenfant, the exposure is a dream come true. “This is big,” she said. “I want people to know I have a unique style and voice. I want them to know that I’m a relatable, normal girl from an island off the coast of Massachusetts.”
The stakes couldn’t be higher. The winner of Season 21 will take home a $200,000 grand prize, mentorship from the Council of Fashion Designers of America, representation from Agentry PR, and a coveted spread in Elle magazine. As Cape Cod designer Kenard Smith Jr. told the Cape Cod Times, breaking into fashion is tough, and “getting your name out there, building a good client and fan base, doing local and state shows, making community connections, and attending events are all part of the process.” For Malenfant and her fellow contestants, "Project Runway" offers a rare shot at stardom.
Of course, the show itself remains a whirlwind of creativity, stress, and spectacle. Contestants are given assignments, a budget for materials, and just 14 hours to sketch, pattern, sew, and alter their designs before models strut down the runway. The process repeats until one designer is crowned the winner. As Malenfant put it, the show is “a reflection of the industry, but also an exaggeration of how it works: the team challenges, the budget, and 14 hours to complete a design.”
For viewers, the new season of "Project Runway" offers more than just fashion drama. It’s a celebration of creativity, resilience, and the friendships that make the industry sparkle. Whether it’s Klum’s candid health journey, her iconic Halloween plans, or the camaraderie between her and Vergara, there’s plenty to keep fans entertained. And for designers like Malenfant, the runway is just the beginning of an adventure that’s equal parts nerve-wracking and exhilarating.
With each new episode, the world gets a little more colorful—and the stakes, a little higher. For everyone involved, from the contestants to the celebrity guests, "Project Runway" remains a proving ground for talent and a showcase for the enduring power of fashion to inspire, surprise, and connect.
