Students and faculty in and interested in the College of Design filled Hunt Library’s auditorium Thursday night. With anticipation, they waited to view the finale of Project Runway.
The design school hosted a viewing event for Justin LeBlanc, an associate professor in the College of Design and a designer who was a finalist on the reality television show.
LeBlanc said on the show that growing up deaf influenced his design. At 18, he heard for the first time in his life and has used that experience as motivation for the garments he would eventually showcase in the season 12 finale of Project Runway.
Fashion design was not always what LeBlanc wanted to do, but after taking a fashion class at NCSU, he decided to pursue a career in the design industry.
Students waited anxiously for the show to start at 9 p.m. Morgan McDonnell, freshman in graphic design, said she was excited for the season finale.
“I am so excited to see who wins,” McDonnell said. “I’ve been following this show for a while now. As a graphic design major, I really love seeing the colors and shapes come together on the clothes.”
Unfortunately, viewers at the event couldn’t watch the first 30 minutes of the show due to technical difficulties.
Because of this, LeBlanc, watching from the Hunt Library, skyped a friend watching the show from Chicago. The friend helped attendees to watch the program through Skype on the auditorium’s projector.
“I was kind of worried that we weren’t going to be able to see any of the show,” Emily Douglass, a freshman in design studies said. “But I was relieved when his friend in Chicago saved the day. I think it was even cooler because we got to connect with his friends through the computer screen.”
The connection Douglass refers to is the intertwining of two celebrations many miles away. During each commercial break, the camera would flip around to reveal another part of the party being thrown for LeBlanc in Chicago – LeBlanc introduced his Chicago friends to a waving, crowded Hunt auditorium.
“I think that [meeting his friends] was a very special moment and really made me realize that Justin’s dream was coming true,” McDonnell said. “He may be kind of a celebrity to us on campus but he has a normal life with friends and family who seem so happy for him, it just makes me happy.”
The results revealed that LeBlanc came in third place. The auditorium was full of disappointed murmurs, but happiness was restored when LeBlanc received a standing ovation and an “I love you” in sign language sent his way.
“I was really bummed when I found out that Justin didn’t win,” said Brandon Edwards, freshman in First Year College. “But it was so awesome that he came in third, and he made it this far. I really liked how his final collection looked.”
LeBlanc thanked the people in the auditorium for their love and support, and he seemed excited for the future.
