‘My spirit was broken’: Liris Crosse calls out ‘Project Runway’ designer over garbage bag look
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The veteran model says Bryan Barrientos’ unconventional-materials design was “thoughtless” and failed to consider the woman wearing it.
Liris Crosse has walked runways for two decades. She says none of it prepared her for standing backstage while a designer taped a garbage bag to her body.
The 47-year-old model appeared in the seventh episode of “Project Runway” season 22, wearing a look constructed by competitor Bryan Barrientos during an unconventional materials challenge. In a statement to PEOPLE on Tuesday, Aug. 25, Crosse said her heart broke that day, though viewer support has since helped fill it.
Her critique went beyond a single bad garment. Crosse told the outlet the look read as “thoughtless, unintentional and lazy,” adding pointedly that Barrientos “designed what he wanted and not for the model he had.” She framed the fallout as a useful reckoning, arguing that every designer should be capable of finding inspiration for a fuller body regardless of the challenge. If not, she asked, are you really a designer?
Speaking in a YouTube video posted Aug. 24, Crosse detailed how the look came together. She said she had actively encouraged Barrientos when he struggled to find materials, suggesting they look around together, which led him to electrical cords. The initial construction, she recalled, resembled a halter that felt like a noose around her neck.
The situation escalated on the day of the runway. According to Crosse, Barrientos asked whether she would walk in her bra and underwear with wires draped over her. She declined, at which point he began taping a garbage bag onto her. She said the bag had been on the floor during spray-painting, pointing to visible paint on the plastic in the aired episode.
“It just felt thoughtless. It felt like he just had no idea,” she said. “My spirit, in that moment, was broken.”
The judges noticed. Nina Garcia observed that the model didn’t look happy, while guest judge Iman said Crosse appeared miserable. Crosse said Barrientos has not reached out since.