Karlie Kloss, host of Project Runway, spoke out on the real tragedy of her recent viral moment on the show. Viewers might remember the contentious elimination she handed down to contestant Tyler Neasloney who took a shot at her affiliation with her famous in-laws, the Kushners. Husband Joshua Kushner is the younger brother of Donald Trump’s controversial political advisor and son-in-law, Jared Kushner.
The design challenge required the contestants to create an upcycled look from secondhand clothing that could be worn by Kloss during a trip to a CFDA event in Paris. The mission was to shed light on the fashion industry’s impact on the environment and landfills. For the most part, the designers were successful with their offerings. Neasloney, on the other hand, was not. His look consisted of a Junior League-inspired dress with a sleeveless top adorned with a tuxedo ruffle and a plain pencil skirt with a decorative white geometric design detail on the hip. Kloss was visibly unimpressed, as was judge Brandon Maxwell who said he “couldn’t see” Kloss wearing the outfit. That’s when Neasloney teased, “Not even to dinner with Kushners?” There were audible gasps from the other designers. Kloss looked stunned by the brazen comment. Her reaction has since been replicated all over the internet. Neasloney was reprimanded for the dress and the comment, then booted from the competition for his unsuccessful execution of the challenge.
Kloss appeared on the January 16th episode of Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen (via Cheatsheet) to set the record straight and address the embarrassing moment. She said, “I was honored to be one of the first memes of the decade.” She continued, “But honestly, the real tragedy of this whole thing is that no one is talking about how terrible that dress was. That’s why he went home! And no, I would not wear that dress to any dinner.”
Although it’s been widely reported that Kloss was embarrassed by the connection to Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump, she may have actually been concerned that the comment would bring up more bad blood between her and her in-laws. Kloss and her husband have stayed mum about the rumors that his family refused to attend their wedding because of their disdain for her. However, the model and television host’s face said it all when she was asked about the family. Still, Kloss has a strong sense of self and won’t let any family member break her of her belief system. Kloss admitted that being grouped with America’s first family has “been hard.” She explained, “But I choose to focus on the values that I share with my husband, and those are the same liberal values that I was raised with and that have guided me throughout my life.”
Karlie Kloss has shown the Project Runway viewership that she can keep it classy, but also have a sense of humor about herself and her unique personal life. While her affiliation with the Kushners may have overshadowed the eliminated designer’s lack of creativity, her appearance on Watch What Happens Live was the perfect punctuation to one of reality television’s best and most cringe-worthy moments.
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Source: Cheat Sheet
