This week the designers get a once in a lifetime experience when they visit the atelier of the legendary Dapper Dan. Dap is the trailblazer who introduced high fashion to the hip-hop world by creating luxury streetwear. The designers are asked to create their own take on the future of streetwear, and are given just one day to complete the challenge and impress a fashion legend.
Eager to give aspiring designers a chance to break into the notoriously difficult-to-crack fashion world, supermodel Heidi Klum will once again head a panel of industry luminaries, including top women's and men's wear designer Michael Kors and Elle Magazine fashion director Nina Garcia, who will serve as judges and industry mentors charged with selecting and molding the budding designers. There will also be guest judges each week based on the specific challenge. Timballoonn, Chair of the Parsons The New School For Design, will return to guide the contestants through each of their challenges.
The winning designer will walk away with $100,000 in seed money to help them launch their own line. The winner's designs will be featured in a spread in ELLE, photographed by the magazine's world-renowned Publication Director, Gilles Bensimon. They will also receive a mentorship from the Banana Republic Design Team.