As the most recent Project Runway concludes on Nov. 16, there clearly is a frontrunner: Brandon Kee. But, whether he wins or not, many have to be curious as to what Brandon from Project Runway is doing now that the show is soon to be over. Before getting into his probable-post-win plans though, let’s stop and take a moment to reminisce on just how dominant he’s been over the course of the competition.
Brandon is a 24-year-old designer from San Francisco, California. Having gotten his degree in design from The Academy of Arts (also in San Francisco), he’s only been designing for five years. He auditioned for the show based on the suggestion of a former professor. Although his official profile on Lifetime shows his biggest flaw as difficulty working quickly, that didn’t stop him from doing exceedingly well in this season’s competition.
Looking back through his competition's resume, he’s got some impressive stats. Brandon has never had a single design in the bottom scores and so has never been at risk to go home. He’s gotten a top score more times than any other contestant at eight times. But most notably, he’s won more design challenges than any other competitor — three, to be precise.
TV Line called him the “undisputed golden boy of Season 16” and another outlet, Gold Derby suggested that he may already have the competition in the bag. If you’re the statistical type, Gold Derby reported Brandon is the most likely to win, with their most recent article suggesting his odds are at around 67 percent higher than any other contestant remaining.
But, winner or not, his plans for the future include designing for the rich and famous. In an interview with Life & Style, he determined the celebrities he would most like to design for are musicians. "Lil Wayne, A$AP Rocky, and Rihanna are probably my Top 3," he said. "I’ve just been a huge, huge, huge fan of all three. They are my target audience."
But, oddly enough, it was only through this competition that he even began to design for women at all. According to The Salt Lake Tribune, Brandon had never made a dress before the competition began. In an interview with that outlet, he explained that androgyny suits his style.
“It’s very now and very in. And I kind of knew my style would translate ... Obviously, I was concerned — never making womenswear before. But I don’t really sculpt to the body. I don’t do super-fitted pieces. So I didn’t have to really worry about that kind of fit issue. It was more about tastefulness and proportion and layering and how it all comes together.”Unfortunately, it looks like he doesn’t have any clothing available for purchase yet. However, due to another contestant’s disqualification for not following the rules, he was able to win the Dixie Cup design challenge. Because of that, not only was he able to win the $25,000 prize, his design was put on limited edition cups by the brand in October. So if you’re his number one fan — you may still be able to find some of those cups available online.
Clearly, Brandon aims to make use of his time on the show, whether he wins it or not, as a jumping-off point. With his name out there, more experience, and a degree, it shouldn’t be long before you’d be able to purchase some clothes from him. So go ahead and follow him on his Instagram and Twitter — that way you can be the first to know when something is available to buy.
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