AARP Struts on ‘Project Runway’

Lifetime’s long-running TV series Project Runway partnered with AARP for its most recent episode — “The Next Chapter” — which aired Nov. 10. The show’s design mentor, Tim Gunn, introduced Barbara Shipley, Senior Vice President of Brand Integration at AARP, who explained the nature of the challenge to the nine remaining contestants. Perhaps the most exciting moment is when she told them that the winner of the challenge receives $25,000.

“We at AARP help people reimagine the next chapters of their lives — especially after [age] 50,” Shipley said. “To help inspire you to start a fresh, personal challenge, we’ve brought some very special people who are starting a new chapter in their lives.”

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Enter the contestants’ respective mothers, daughters, mentors, and close friends – for whom the designers created looks based upon their “next chapter” aspirations, some of which include going to back to school, launching entrepreneur enterprises, and traveling around the world.

Because AARP was so inspired by the clients’ stories, Shipley announced that the winning client would also receive an additional $25,000 to help finance their own journey into their desired “Next chapter.”    

Show host Heidi Klum, Nina Garcia and Zac Posen are the show’s regular judges, and former Miss Universe Olivia Culpo and Birchbox CEO Katia Beauchamp joined them as guest judges for this episode.  

After the nine contestants designed looks that ranged from marvelous to meh, Californian Rik Villa won the challenge. He created a radiant, contemporary black-and-white tweed jacket and modern dress, complemented with elegant mariachi-inspired embroidering, for his mom, Delia, a college student pursuing a bachelor’s degree.

Delia Villa models the winning outfit her son Rik designed for her in the "Next Chapter" design challenge on 'Project Runway'

Greg Endries/Courtesy of Lifetime

Klum praised the look as a “real designer’s dress,” then said that it looked “expensive.” Garcia complimented Villa on creating an outfit that perfectly fit his mother’s proportions, while Posen said that it looked “authoritarian yet modern.” Delighted with the win, Villa said that he was going to use the money to pay back his mom for all his loans.

To watch the full episode, click here.