Project Runway: Meet the season 16 designers

Plus, see when the show will be returning and who will be guest judging

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Photo: Lifetime

Whether it’s requiring designers to make looks from grocery store goods, providing a contestant the space to talk about his HIV status, or featuring the first-ever rainway, Project Runway has broken a lot of reality TV and design barriers in its past 15 seasons. And it’s about to break one more when it returns on August 17: In season 16, the latest crop of contestants will be designing for size-inclusive models. The models will range from sizes 0 to 22 and test the contestants’ skills to design for all sizes.

The show will return with hosts Heidi Klum and Tim Gunn along with judges Nina Garcia and Zac Posen and, fittingly, 16 designers. In addition to the photo above (which shows there must be twins!?), here is what we know about each designer:

Margarita Alvarez,30, San Juan, Puerto Rico
Amy Bond, 46, Los Angeles
Michael Brambila,25, Oakland, California
Claire Buitendorp, 27, Grand Ledge, Michigan
Shawn Buitendorp,27, Grand Ledge, Michigan
ChaCha,24, Taiwan
Kenya Freeman, 37, Atlanta
Ayana Ife,27, Salt Lake City
Kentaro Kameyama,38, Los Angeles
Kudzanai Karidza,32, Atlanta
Brandon Kee, 24, San Francisco
Batani-Khalfani, 32, Inglewood, California
Sentell McDonald,33, New York
Aaron Myers, 23, Brooklyn
Samantha Rei,36, Minneapolis
Deyonté Weather,36, Lynwood, Washington

Joining the cast are also guest judges Demi Lovato, Katie Holmes, Olivia Munn, Yolanda Hadid, Kate Upton, Maggie Q, Kelsea Ballerini, Dove Cameron, China Anne McClain, Asia Kate Dillon, Carly Chaikin, Maddie Ziegler, Sophia Stallone, Georgina Chapman, Rachel Brosnahan and Anne Fulenwider.

Project Runway airs Thursday, August 17 at 8 p.m. ET on Lifetime.

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