In the world of fashion, Jeffrey Kelly Abess is on top.
The handsome designer is making his reality TV debut on season 22 of Project Runway and already giving fans plenty to talk about.
Besides his own dashing looks, Abess is ready to cement his place in the fashion industry by showcasing his best designs to a brand new audience. Although reality TV fans may be new to his work, the model has already ran his own successful business by creating sickening lewks for a slew of RuPaul's Drag Race queens.
If you're a fan of Drag Race, you've definitely seen some of Abess' original designs on the runway as queens such as Sam Star, Morgan McMichaels, The Vivienne, Heidi N Closet, Suzie Toot, Myki Meeks, and many more have worn his custom outfits. In fact, Abess brought Meeks' Drag Race season 18 promo look for the first challenge on Project Runway. The assignment was to bring something that represents the aesthetic of the designer.
Unfortunately, Law Roach didn't love the look overall, which resulted in Abess landing in the bottom for the first week of the competition. Fortunately, he was saved last minute and quickly turned things around by securing a top placement for the second challenge of the hit reality show.
"My head was spinning. We just went through a whole day of meeting everybody. People don't see of half of what we do. It is your biggest fear to be in the bottom and get read by someone you look up to so much. It wasn't the right choice for what they wanted, but let's shake it up a little bit," Abess tells Out.
With episode 3 airing this week, Abess is hoping to keep his hot streak going by serving up more sickening looks to impress the judges.
"From the bottom to the top! I wanted Law to be impressed more than anybody. I put in the hard work and it could have went south if I was stubborn, but I took the critique and made it happen. I had a plan coming in! It got fumbled a little bit in the first episode, but I really do love designing. I knew that I had to play the game."
The presence of Drag Race designers have brought new fans to Project Runway since Utica Queen slayed the competition on season 21. Even though Plane Jane and Q were eliminated on the first challenge, Abess hopes to deliver drag excellence in upcoming episodes.
"I had doubted myself so long as a designer. I wanted Utica to win and that really inspired me to do Project Runway. If Utica can do it, being the cooky queen she is, I definitely can do it. My platform is representing the drag community, because that is what my root is and that's where I come from. I give my time, life, and money to so many queens. I hope people realize how much I help our community."
Project Runway airs Thursday nights on Freeform and streams every Friday on Disney+.
