Tune in Thursday night, March 14, to Bravo TV to watch Moore Continuing Education alumna Renee Hill on Project Runway!
Hill, a Sharon Hill native who now calls Philadelphia home, is one of 16 contestants participating in the Season 17 premiere. The winner will receive $250,000 and be featured in Elle magazine.
“It was so shocking to be selected,” she said. “I was just like, oh my god, it’s real, they picked me!”
Hill has been sewing clothes for years, and has her own fashion brand called Harx4. A mother of four, she found her passion for fashion after raising a blended family of nine and getting divorced after a 20-year marriage. She decided she needed skills to further herself in the business of fashion, and took several Continuing Education fashion design classes at Moore.
She also studied pattern making and tailoring at Made Institute, learning techniques her mother used in making beautiful bridal and ball gowns.
A BASKET OF EMOTIONS
A friend suggested she apply to appear on Project Runway, but she thought the stress might be too much.
“Once I was selected, I was a basket of emotions,” she said, one of them being nervous. “This is what I asked for, what I worked hard for, so now this is my time to show everyone that I am an amazing designer.”
Hill visited Moore recently, and met with Fashion Design Chair Nasheli Ortiz-González. She was impressed with the direction Moore’s program is headed.
“It’s refreshing to see that students will be able to benefit in a way to be successful in the fashion industry in all avenues, not just in fashion design,” Hill said. “They may want to take another route, to be a pattern maker or creative director or illustrator.”
Hill has met Project Runway Season 12 winner and Moore alumna Dom Streater ‘10 a couple of times, and looks forward to connecting with her again.
“I have pictures of her in my phone!” she said. “I reached out to her on Instagram and she started following me.”
STYLING
Hill describes her style as unconventional, and said she wears whatever she’s feeling at the moment. That could include beads, sequins and sneakers. In a first look at the Season 17 premiere, Hill is wearing round black and white glasses, hoop earrings and a gray headscarf.
“That’s what I hope when people watch, especially women my age, they see that level of confidence,” she said. “Express yourself, however you feel.”
Hill has organized a watch party with family and friends Thursday night at a Center City hotel.
“Once the show airs, I’ll probably freak out – I’m on TV!” she said. “I’m just really happy about it and proud of myself.”
See Hill's profile for Project Runway here.
Read more about her in The Philadelphia Inquirer!
