Project Runway’s Sebastian Grey Reveals How He Fell in Love with Fashion

Be Warned: If you haven’t seen Bravo’s Project Runway Season 17 finale episode, there are spoilers ahead. You can see the final runway show here. 

If you’ve kept up with Project Runway Season 17, then you’ve probably noticed that winner Jhoan "Sebastian" Grey's designs always have a softness to them and appear light as a feather, no matter the fabric. This isn’t a coincidence. Sebastian’s signature style, which conquered the Project Runway competition, contains traits from a unique background that ignited the designer’s passion for fashion. 

During a recent chat with The Lookbook, Sebastian revealed that the first time he realized he wanted to be in fashion was while he was in ballet school. Sebastian shared that he would watch the costume designers create outfits for plays and see "all of these garments come to life." He explained, "I fell in love with how they were expressing things without saying anything."

Sebastian's experience in ballet continues to influence his designs today. "So, that’s the reason we see the softness in all my clothes," he shared. Additionally, he draws inspiration from channeling different time periods. "My biggest influence when it comes to design is making the past go into the future," he said. 

For Sebastian, his creations are much more than beautiful garments: "The most amazing thing for me about fashion is being able to escape what is happening right now in the world, even when what is happening is what influences collections. I love being able to create things and make people feel amazing."