As Heidi Klum famously says on Project Runway, “In fashion, one day you’re in, the next day you’re out.”
Last night, Law Roach made it crystal clear that he’s in. He’s very in.
The self-proclaimed “image architect”—known for styling celebrities like Zendaya, Céline Dion, and other A-listers—made his judging debut last night on Project Runway Season 21. And he did it with a splash.
The two-episode premiere aired on Freeform, marking the highly anticipated return of Klum, who exited from her role as the show’s host after Season 16.
Other familiar faces returned as well: Christian Siriano, now firmly established in Tim Gunn’s former mentor role; Season 19’s Caycee Black; RuPaul’s Drag Race star Utica Queen; and twins Jesus and Antonio Estrada. Jesus was on the show during season 7.
But while the contestants brought the interpersonal drama, Roach brought something better: brutal honesty.
In the first episode, Roach delivered harsh feedback for Jesus Estrada’s villain-themed design—a floor-length coat that impressed other judges, but not Roach.
“I hated it,” he said. “I was the only one. I was out judged.”
When Estrada apologized for his design, Roach cut him off, clarifying: “I didn’t just hate the coat. I hated the entire look.”
Estrada then burst into tears.
Look, no one loves watching a designer cry, but there’s something undeniably compelling about Roach’s Simon Cowell-level candor: it’s clear, sharp, and filled with enough meanness to keep things entertaining.
Later on in episode 1, he threw another insult at Joseph McRae, a contestant from the princess themed team, whose look the other judges hated. While Roach didn’t mind McRae’s sportswear design, he did (hilariously) compare the coat to a “couch cushion.”
In episode two, Roach went even harder on contestants. After designer Alex Foxworth sent an unfinished kimono look down the runway, Roach told her during the feedback session that it was a genuine mess.
“I do not want to be a part of a judging panel where everybody gets a trophy. It was really f---ing bad.” We love the honesty, and we share the sentiment. The kimono corset was really f---ing bad,” he said.
After the first two episodes premiered, viewers took to social media to express their approval of Roach’s judging style.
Some people even claimed adding Roach as a judge on the show was the best decision Project Runway ever made.
Given his propensity for unfiltered honestly, it seems like viewers can absolutely count on Roach to deliver some more iconic zingers as the season continues.
Project Runway will air on Freeform every Thursday at 9 pm ET and will be available to stream on Disney+ and Hulu at 10 pm ET.
