Yesterday afternoon, we got our first look at the new season of Project Runway — which will premiere on Lifetime TV in August — as new stills from upcoming eps were released by the network. Today, the official Project Runway website has been updated with photos and short bios of the 16 contestants who will be vying for the title of PR champ. Here is our first look at 6 of the new contestants:

OOOOOOH … I’m getting excited now. For the most part thus far, things look very similar to the way Project Runway was presented on Bravo TV. I mean, I know there will be a few changes on the new network (especially with a new production company putting the show together) but I think they are very wise to keep the look and feel of the show as close to the original format that we’ve seen in the first 5 seasons. After the jump, see the photos for the next 10 design contestants …

It’s really impossible to judge the designers from just their photos (tho, Ari Fish has got a bit of a Samantha Ronson vibe goin’ on in her bio photo) … I remember liking Kenley Collins from the first photo of her I saw, little did I know she’d turn into the evil little troll she’d become on the show (also, who would’ve guessed that she would be arrested to assaulting her fiancée with a computer and a cat?). It remains to be seen if any of these nascent contestants will have any legal troubles of their own any time in the future … but this first look at the new batch of designers really gets me amped for the new season of the show. August 20th on Lifetime! Be there or be … elsewhere.

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