As the editor-in-chief of Elle magazine, Nina Garcia may be one of the most powerful women in the fashion world. She is also the longest-running judge on Bravo’s TV competition series Project Runway. This year Garcia is set to add another season to her record on the Emmy Award-winning show.
The Colombian-American fashion journalist is confirmed to return as a judge for Project Runway’s 19th season, to be produced this spring in New York City.
Garcia has been judging on the show since it launched in 2004. She also served as a consulting producer two years ago.
Born in Barranquilla, Colombia, Garcia moved to the United States at age 15. She studied at Boston University, Paris’ École Supérieure de la Mode and New York’s Fashion Institute of Technology, earning a bachelor’s degree in fashion merchandising from the latter in 1992.
Her entry into the fashion industry was in the first half of the ‘80s, working in public relations for Perry Ellis and its then-designer Marc Jacobs. She later joined the publishing world, working for magazines such as Mirabella and Marie Claire. Garcia has been at the helm of Elle since 2017, where she had held other editorial positions in the 2000s.
Her fashion credentials have led Garcia to be a style expert in TV shows like Today, Good Morning America, The View and CNN, as well as a celebrity red carpet correspondent for ABC’s Oscar telecast. She has been featured in other shows like Lisa Kudrow’s Web Therapy and Ugly Betty.
Throughout her career, Garcia has been the recipient of various prizes, including the Fashion Group International’s Oracle Award, the Hispanic Federation’s Individual Achievement Award, the Oliver Scholars’ Program Champion of Educational Excellence Award and The Daily’s Magazine of the Year Award.
In Project Runway, Garcia will be joined by fellow judges Brandon Maxwell, Elaine Welteroth and Christian Siriano, who also serves as executive producer. Supermodel Karlie Kloss will make guest appearances.Project Runway is produced by Alfred Street Industries and Spyglass Media Group. Dan Cutforth, Jane Lipsitz, Nan Strait, Dan Volpe and Meri Haitkin serve as executive producers for Alfred Street Industries. Fremantle distributes the show worldwide.
