Fleis is an all star on ‘Project Runway’

Rogers City native Melissa Fleis had a day named in her honor last November. She now is back on TV with "Project Runway All Stars" beginning next month.

by Richard Lamb–Advance Editor

She is back. Rogers City native Melissa Fleis is a “Project Runway” all-star. Fleis, who placed third in the designing competition show last fall, is one of 11 former show competitors who will return for a shot at the grand prize in “Project Runway All Stars.”

The weekly television fashion competition show, presumably filming now or recently completed filming, debuts on the Lifetime Network Oct. 24 at 9 p.m. The announcement of the cast came last Thursday.

Three past “Project Runway” winners are among this season’s crop of contestants, as new host Alyssa Milano warns that on “All Stars,” even the smallest mistake will send you packing.

The cast will get guidance from new mentor, television fashion correspondent and Marie Claire’s senior fashion editor Zanna Roberts Rassi.  Judges include Isaac Mizrahi and Georgina Chapman and an A-list celebrity guest judges. According to a Lifetime press release, those confirmed to appear this season include film and TV stars Abigail Breslin, Kristin Chenoweth, Gabourey Sidibe and Elisabeth Moss, actor, comedian and radio/TV personality Nick Cannon, rocker Debbie Harry, supermodel Bar Refaeli, anchor Gayle King and TV host Lisa Robertson, as well as fashion personalities Nate Berkus and Michael Urie.

Also guest judging this season are “Project Runway’s” Nina Garcia and Zac Posen, along with previous “Runway” winners Christian Siriano (season four) and Anya Ayoung-Chee (season nine), as well as “All Stars” season one and two winners Mondo Guerra and Anthony Ryan Auld.

In addition, television icon Marge Simpson will make a special guest appearance on “Project Runway All Stars” this season.

 

FLEIS’ ACCOMPLISHMENTS didn’t go unnoticed in her hometown. In addition to coverage in the Advance each week, including personal interviews with Fleis, the Rogers City Area Chamber of Commerce honored its hometown designer at last year’s chamber banquet.

She proved to be a popular draw as the banquet room at the Water’s Edge Restaurant sold out as a capacity crowd turned out to greet her and hear her speak about her experience on the television show.

The chamber also organized school visits before excited schoolchildren and teachers.

The “Project Runway” finalist visited St. Ignatius Catholic School, which she attended, Rogers City Elementary and Rogers City High School (RCHS) bringing a positive message with her. She clearly enjoyed appearing at the three schools, attentively asking each student’s name as she signed an autographed card for each of them.

The 1998 RCHS grad and daughter of Doris and Jim Fleis of Rogers City, told students then it is all about following your dreams and hard work.

On her visit to schools last year, she began her day during first hour at the high school, guest of Missy Wozniak’s class. About 40 students, who had signed up for Fleis’ session, watched a short video of introduction produced by Advance publisher Richard Lamb, then filled the hour with intelligent questions about the show.

The city declared Saturday, Nov. 3, 2012 as “Melissa Fleis Day” in Rogers City. Highlight of the day for Melissa came at the Rogers City Area Chamber of Commerce annual banquet, where she made a presentation a

nd received lots of hugs on her special day in Rogers City.

A GROUP OF 15 businesses and individuals sponsored her trip home, as no chamber funds were used to bring her home for her honor.

Since her appearance on “Project Runway” last year, Fleis has been at her home in San Francisco designing and producing made-to-fit custom leather jackets and custom-cut leather clutches. She had a showing at the NWBLK, a retail collective in San Francisco last May.

The cast of “Project Runway All-Stars” includes two other designers from Fleis’ appearance on season 10 of the show.

Christopher Palu of Massapequa, New York, took fourth place while Elena Slivnyak of San Francisco took sixth place in the season Fleis competed.