A Report from Miami PR Auditions

We have a wonderful report on the Miami auditions for Project Runway Season 3 presented by BPR reader Marc B.

My friend Tracy and I went to the Miami auditions this afternoon, on a whim, not even sure what kind of access we would have since we weren’t actually there to audition. When we got downtown, at first we were a little worried not to see a line stretching around the Macy’s building. But when we got up to the top floor where the auditions were being held, there was still a considerable line of people waiting to audition with only a couple of hours left in the day.

To tell the truth, it was initially a little intimidating to be just standing there amongst all the comings and goings of designers and models and staffers and gowns and garment racks. But for the sake of our fellow fanatics we decided to stay and pick just ONE garment that looked the most interesting to our eyes and ask its designer if we could take their picture for Blogging Project Runway.

We immediately agreed on the garment we liked: a delicately detailed dress whose skirt somehow resembled tulip petals without being really literal. It looked gorgeous on the model. The designer agreed to talk to us and have her picture taken for BPR – and just as she agreed, she was called in for her audition!

While we waited her to come back out, we caught a glimpse of Chloe Dao (radiant!), probably returning to the judging room from a break. We also got a chance to check out the work of the other designers in line, who represented a real range of styles – from tropical extravagance to much more subdued looks. We couldn’t help but feel nervous for the contestants even though they all looked as cool as cucumbers. What guts it must take to show your stuff to Tim Gunn!

The designer we had picked finally came back out and had a few moments to talk with us before she had to talk some more with the Bravo people. Her name is Kayce Armstrong, and she works here in Miami. She spoke passionately to us about her work deconstructing and refashioning vintage garments, and she described her philosophy of designing with and for people with limited resources, born of her own personal background. She gave us a postcard which included her website. As for the audition, she reported being impressed with the rigor of the questioning from the judges, especially (and unsurprisingly) from Tim Gunn.

And the big question we had for her when she came out of the audition room – did she make it to the next round? The answer: YES!

Even though we had just met her, it was exciting to hear about how she had until the end of the week to send in a short-short biographical video for the perusal of the show’s judges and producers. We were really impressed with Kayce’s clothes and her unique point of view, and we wish her the best of luck in the next selection round!

-Marc B.

Kayce Armstrong with her model Terri Comrie

Well done Marc B. and Tracy; thanks so much for sharing with us!

And we wish Kayce the best of luck with Season 3!

ETA: Here is a link to Andy's blog featuring his take on the Miami Auditions.