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Celebrity Designer Johnathan ‘Kayne’ Gillaspie takens on Project Runway All Stars Season 20

Johnathan Kayne Plus-Size Evening Dress Designer Star of Project Runway

Our very own designer Johnathan Kayne took home the top honor - and $10,000 - when Episode One of Project Runway's All-Star Season 20 aired on Bravo Channel last night.
The judges loved - and so did we - the drama of his winning design, a 3-piece black- and- white evening ensemble that looked oh-so elegant and - at the same time - so young!  
The look showcased quintessential Kayne design details including an asymmetrical body-con top, ruffled overskirt 3with flowing train and open back.
 
Of course, here at Sydney's Closet we're a tad prejudice as Kayne collaborate with us to the wildly successful Dangerous Curve Ahead Collection of  glamorous plus-size evening dresses perfect for any special occasion.
The same stand-out styling that impressed the judges in Episode One, also makes him a winner with curvy customers who wear a jaw-dropping Johnathan Kayne for Sydney's Closet gown to Prom, Pageants, Black Tie Events and on the red-carpet.   
 
Celebrity Designer Johnathan ‘Kayne’ Gillaspie takens on Project Runway All Stars Season 20

Kayne beat out 13 of the reality show's most loved designers who appeared on Season 1 through Season 19.

The stakes remain high with super talented designers battling it out to win a grand prize of $250,000, a mentorship at the Council of Fashion Designers of America and, did we mention, a fashion spread in the slick ELLE Magazine.

The competition promises to be fierce, fast-paced and fun-packed with Christian Soriano, who won season four, as the mentor for Kayne and the other contestants.

Celebrity Designer Johnathan ‘Kayne’ Gillaspie takens on Project Runway All Stars Season 20

Look for Nina Garcia, Brandon Maxwell, and Elaine Welteroth to judge who creates the best clothes for each of the fashion challenges.  Guest judges will include several Hollywood and fashion industry giants you will certainly recognize: Billy Porter, Colman Domingo, Zac Posen and Carolina Herrera. 

Ever since the reality television series debuted in December 2004, fashionistas just can’t get enough of Project Runway. They love the idea of going behind-the-scenes to see how designers create clothing from the first stroke of the sketch to the last stitch on the garment whether it is a denim jacket, a sequin evening gown or a uniform for a yacht crew. 



 

Does Johnathan Kayne from Project Runway Design for Curvy Women?

The answers is Yes!  Kayne collaborates with Sydney's Closet, a leading company devoted exclusively to designing and creating plus-size special occasions for women and teens.

It all started when Kayne met Phyllis Brasch Librach, head designer of Sydney’s Closet, at a trade show in Atlanta and formed a design duo. She fell in love with his extravagant flair for designing evening and pageant fashion that turned heads. He marveled at her passion for perfecting formal wear that fit and flattered women and teens with real curves. 

Celebrity Designer Johnathan ‘Kayne’ Gillaspie takens on Project Runway All Stars Season 20

The first collaborative collection launched in 2020 with just a handful of designs.  The designers quickly earned a reputation for creating designing luxurious evening gowns that exude beauty, power, sophistication and confidence for curvy customers.  They introduced dramatic design elements like scarves and capes that customers love and broke fun fashion barriers with a red sequin jumpsuit up to size 24.  

Fueled by the instant success, Kayne and Librach expanded the selection of their 2022 and 2023 Collections offering more colors, silhouettes and fabulous evening fabrics like stretch velvet sequins.



Almost overnight, their exceptional gowns were spotted on celebrities on the red-carpet at awards shows, beauty pageant contestants on the runway and at Proms across the United States.

Perhaps the greatest compliment came when customers in dress shops saw curvy women trying on the Kayne for Sydney's Closet gowns and wanted thosr styles in smaller sizes. The duo responded in 2023 by adding Size 10 and Size 12 to their curvy collection. 

After four years of designing long, formal evening gowns, Kayne and Librach teamed up again for Fall 2023 to introduce a capsule collection of short party dresses that pack a flirtatious fashion punch. The short, party dress Collection will be available in fine dress shops near you starting in August 2023. 

What Seasons did Designer Johnathan Kayne Appear on Project Runway?

Celebrity Designer Johnathan ‘Kayne’ Gillaspie takens on Project Runway All Stars Season 20

Kayne first appeared on Season 3 of Project Runway. He returned again to be a contestant for the first All-Star cast in 2012.

After that he propelled his unique design talent into a successful commercial eponymous brand with his over-the-top collections of  evening, pageant and cocktail dress. 

No wonder he landed a spot on the 20th Season cast after dressing superstars like Reba McEntire, Naomi Judd and Elle King. 

At Sydney’s Closet, we know firsthand Johnathan Kayne's extraordinary design skills and talents for designing formal plus-size dresses for curvier women for the special occasion in their lives. We've been working with Kayne for four years.

Kayne and Librach find it hard to sit still very long. They are already creating sketches for the 2024 Collaborative Collection and plan to introduce new fabrics for formal and semi-formal events.

Celebrity Designer Johnathan ‘Kayne’ Gillaspie takens on Project Runway All Stars Season 20

Where can I find Johnathan Kayne plus-size evening dresses near me?

Check our store locator to discover a dress shop or bridal salon closest to you that carries the Johnathan Kayne for Sydney's Closet Collection of long formal evening and Prom gowns as well as short party dresses. You can also buy the dresses online at select websites selling formal wear. 

Meanwhile, you can enjoy browsing the collection online to see the stunning selection of sexy, glamorous styles created Kayne creates exclusively for Sydney's Closet. 

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