Jacqui Alexander, a 18-year-old model and clothes designer, will go the public face from Fashion Week, which starts on September 3.

Fifteen-year-old model Claire Quirk was originally chosen for the line of work but then dropped because councillors considered her too young.

Ms Alexander, the daughter of Russian fashion designers who moved to Australia in the 1980s, organised her first collection last year while completing Year 12.

Style people have a love-hate relationship with Project Runway, partially because them makes the impression that some misunderstood late bloomer with a stitching machine and a dream can become a high-end designer if presented half a chance (and an decent budget at Mood). The show gives sent an whole generation by young clothes designer* scurrying into the halls of Parsons. Only Julian Louie is not among them. “The whole thing exactly weirds me out,” he tells. “Whenever that’s what they actually want—this glamourous clothes designer lifestyle—that’s the last way to go about getting it.”