Project Runway: Which contestant went home after the season 21 premiere?

Project Runway season 21 returned with a two-episode premiere, testing designers with back-to-back team challenges under the watchful eyes of judges Nina Garcia and Law Roach. With Heidi Klum as host after eight years, the show also brings Christian Siriano as a mentor for the designers.

The premiere ended with an emotional elimination, as returning designer Caycee Black was sent home for the second time in her Project Runway journey.

The first episode, New House/New Rules, split contestants into "House of Princesses" and "House of Villains," tasking them with creating cohesive Disney-inspired collections. The second episode, Feel the Burn, pushed designers to craft athletic wear that transitioned seamlessly into cocktail attire.

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Caycee Black's journey on Project Runway

After landing in the bottom three for her "lackluster" princess-themed dress, the judges unanimously cut her off, with Nina Garcia calling it "a mess" and Law Roach declaring it "a missed opportunity" in episode 1.

"It was a challenging experience, both personally and creatively, but ultimately, it allowed me to grow as an artist and reinforce my vision of transforming art into fashion. And that’s what truly matters to me. Every moment, even the toughest, taught me something valuable about my creative process. In the end, they just didn’t get me." Caycee wrote on her Instagram with a picture of the dress she had made.

Caycee Black, a designer from Houston, hoped for redemption after her first appearance on Project Runway season 19. But history repeated itself when her Disney Princess look, a strapless pink gown with uneven draping, failed to impress. Caysee said she really liked her dress and admitted to being a little stunned after the judges' critiques.

Heidi Klum dismissed it as uninspiring, while Law bluntly told her that she had everything to make it a fairytale-like, but missed it.

For Caycee, the elimination felt like "a bad joke." In a tearful confessional, she revealed that she felt like she hadn't gotten to show who she was as a designer. Her departure leaves the remaining 11 contestants to battle forward, including her teammate, Joseph McRae, who narrowly avoided being in the bottom.

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Who won the challenges and who remains on Project Runway?

Meanwhile, drag artist Ethan Mundt (Utica Queen) impressed with his villainous look, winning the first challenge, while Jesus Estrada won a Calia-activewear collaboration in the second episode. Alycia Scott, the lead designer and vice president of the activewear firm Calia, announced that the company would manufacture and market the winning design.

The premiere's dual-team format sparked drama, particularly in House of Villains, where Ethan's winning look was a sculpted black gown with metallic accents. Meanwhile, in the House of Princesses, Antonio Estrada was nearly eliminated after Law was not impressed.

Jesus Estrada secured victory on Project Runway episode 2 with a versatile athleisure set that caught the judges' eyes, while Veejay Floresca landed in the bottom for an unwearable cocktail-to-gym hybrid. The judges deferred his elimination to Episode 3, leaving suspense for next week.

The following designers remain:

• Alex Foxworth
• Angelo Rosa
• Antonio Estrada
• Belania Daley
• Ethan Mundt (Utica Queen)
• Jesus Estrada
• Joan Madison
• Joseph McRae
• Madeline Malenfant
• Veejay Floresca
• Yuchen Han

With Caycee out, the competition intensifies as designers face individual challenges, and the looming threat of criticism and elimination.

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Project Runway airs on Thursdays on Freeform, with streaming available on Hulu and Disney+.

Edited by Maithreyi S