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NEW YORK — “There were a lot of years in my early twenties where I thought about applying to ‘Project Runway,’ but I thought, ‘oh, I’m not good enough.’ I’d talk myself out of it,” says Anna Molinari, sustainability advocate and fashion designer.
“I think it’s so important that we believe in ourselves. So why not just submit that application?”
Molinari’s belief in herself and investment in her talents certainly paid off, winning her a coveted spot on the upcoming 22nd season of “Project Runway.”
“It’s very surreal,” Molinari says. “I’m accomplishing my childhood dream at age 28.”
Molinari’s interest in fashion, and “Project Runway,” was piqued from a very young age.
“I grew up as a Navy brat,” Molinari says. “When you grow up moving around so much, there’s not many consistent parts of life, especially in your childhood.”
Through it all, Molinari remembers finding a sense of stability and consistency through her passion for fashion and design.
“It actually sparked from watching an episode of ‘Project Runway’ when I was eight years old,” Molinari recalls. “It’s probably one of my earliest clear memories. I watched the whole marathon, and I thought, ‘this is what I’m going to be when I grow up.'”
Outside of the competition, Molinari founded and operates Instinct Brand, her sustainable clothing brand.
“My brand’s mission statement is, we don’t need new clothes; we need new ways to do clothes,” Molinari says. “We have all the means to make clothes, so why don’t we just use what we have?”
Drawing from Molinari’s mission towards sustainability in fashion, Instinct Brand’s collections pull from any and all materials, from dead-stock fabrics to discarded plastics.
“I’ve used chewed gum, I’ve used plastic straws, I’ve used any type of plastic wrapper, plastic bag,” Molinari says. “Pretty much anything you’ve seen on the street, I’ve probably used.”
Through using common materials to create high-concept pieces of clothing, Molinari blends ‘shock value’ with relatability, creating something both unique and familiar in the common eye.
Speaking to her “Project Runway” journey, Molinari hopes such a widespread platform can elevate both her artistic and environmental goals.
“I’m really excited for more people to see who we are as a brand, see who I am as a designer,” Molinari says, “And I’m excited to hopefully change some more minds about fashion design and sustainability.”
“I hope that people that watch my journey and how it pans out in my time on “Project Runway” can see how unproductive it is to not believe in yourself, and not be confident in yourself.”
Click here to learn more about Anna Molinari and Instinct Brand.
Project Runway premieres tonight on Freeform and streams shortly after on Hulu and Disney+, followed by weekly airings every Thursday.
