For Immediate Release
October 15, 2008

Marla Duran, Project Runway Designer, to Discuss Her Experience on the Popular TV Show as Part of the Cañada College Designer Sale

The 17th annual Designer Sale will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 25 at the college.

Marla Duran, a contestant in the second season of the popular reality television series “Project Runway,” will talk about her experience on the show as part of the 17th annual Cañada College Designer Sale.

The annual Designer Sale benefits students in the school’s Fashion Design Program with scholarships. Donation is $10. It will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 25 at Cañada College, 4200 Farm Hill Blvd., Redwood City. The designer sale features one-of-a-kind fashion pieces including clothing, hats, handbags, jewelry and more from more than 60 top professional designers around the U.S. Duran will speak during a special open house for the school’s Fashion Department to be held in Building 3 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Duran hails from Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. She appeared in the show’s second season (2006) and eliminated during the sixth episode. She has designed a kidswear line for Reebok Apparel; she wholesales women’s clothes under her own label, with many designs based on vintage-inspired prints; and she shows her work at Atelier at the Rhiga Royal in New York City.

“She has a fascinating story to tell,” said Ronda Chaney, professor of fashion design at Cañada College. “What viewers see on television is different than the reality faced by the designers on the show.”

Duran said her favorite part of the experience was being in the workroom and getting critiqued by famed designer Tim Gunn, an on-air mentor to contestants on the show. “The experience is so full, the viewers see a limited view that may be skewed by the producers.”

She said those critiques led her to approach her work in a different way. “I began working on new ideas, using more draping and pattern making and creating new ideas constantly.”

Duran auditioned for the show in New York City. “I stood in line with a lot of other hopefuls, and had an opportunity to appear before a panel of judges. I made it through a few cuts to become a contestant.”

In the end, she said, it’s television. “The emphasis is on drama, on the unrealistic environment of being together constantly…it’s almost like being hostages! Also, as far as the judging goes, it’s debatable whether contestants stayed on because of their personalities or their talent.”

For more information, contact Robert Hood, Director of Marketing and Public Relations, at hoodr@smccd.edu or 306-3340