Shantall Lacayo

Miami, FL

Age: 37

Growing up in Nicaragua, Shantall Lacayo was taught to sew when she was only four years old by her grandmother. At the young age of 13, she started her own business at school, where she made and sold stretch-shirts for her friends for $2 in order to help her single mother pay the bills. Although Shantall always wanted to pursue a career in fashion, that career did not exist in her country, so she studied marketing. Three years ago, Shantall and her husband abandoned Nicaragua in order to escape political violence. They now live in Miami with their young son. Moving to Miami gave Shantall a fresh start to pursue her fashion dreams full time. She takes pride in her ability to create looks that make women feel like their strongest selves with colorful prints and textures. She began to sell her clothes on social media, and in 2020, she diversified her business by making masks and jewelry. Shantall is not new to this competition. In 2010, she competed in Project Runway Latin America in Argentina, in which she was the first runner-up, and is ready to redeem herself and win the competition!