Liris Crosse Responds To 'Project Runway' Shade From Law Roach

As an OG plus-size model in the game, Liris Crosse knows the ins and outs of the cutthroat fashion industry and what it’s like to have her body critiqued from every direction. But that was magnified on a recent episode of Project Runway, season 21, when the curvy model was paired with designer Jesus Estrada. On the first episode, Crosse wore his garment down the runway, putting her body on display in a lace top that partially exposed her breast. The villain-inspired gown had a lace top with oversized black flowers. Its designers paired it with a red metallic coat that also fell to the floor. They belted it. 

Law Roach, a new judge on the panel, ripped into Jesus for not creating a garment that was flattering to his model. The clip has gone viral on social media with mixed reactions from viewers who either agree with the famed image architect or think he was inadvertently body shaming Crosse.

Crosse took to social media to speak out about the interaction and defend her natural body, writing, “Apparently MY TITTIES are the topic of discussion today as this clip from @ProjectRunway is currently going viral 😎 Thank you @jesusestrada for this sexy dress! I felt sexy in it. Opinions are like a$$holes, everyone has one 🤣 P.S. I felt the natural hang of my NATURAL breasts were just fine in this outfit. 🤷🏽‍♀️Ask your son or your daddy 🙃Also Nigerian Aunties are fierce 👸🏽 🇳🇬 Keep calm & carry on yall…. ☕️🍸 Oh and watch #ProjectRunway on @freeform @hulu & @disneyplus YOUR WELCOME! 🙏🏾”

The Dress Was Met With Mixed Reactions

Her natural breasts were partially visible through the top. “For me, it was very important to make her feel sexy, and I think I embodied that,” said Estrada. He began to cry when he realized Law didn’t like his look at all.

“I hated it,” Roach said when addressing the designer during the episode’s runway session. “To me, she doesn’t look cool, she doesn’t look young. She looks like a Nigerian auntie.”Many agreed with him online. Heidi Klum, host of the series, disagreed with Roach. “A lot of times I feel like designers put a curvy girl into something so loose that we can’t see the beautiful curves.” Roach met her comments with a terse, “Okay.” 

Roach is considered one of the top voices in the fashion industry. He transformed Zendaya into a fashion world darling. He trademarked the term “Image Architect” to accurately reflect his contributions to the careers of those he reframes with his taste. 

The trailer for this season of Project Runway boasted that the show would offer contestants “brutal honesty.” It delivered. The clip from the recently revived series went viral immediately. Many commented that Roach was a great fit for the show for his ferocious style of feedback. 

Roach previously judged the HBO ballroom competition Legendary. His comments were considered to be the biggest selling point of the series over its three season run. This was not the only harsh comment Roach made during the premiere. He called another designer’s work a couch cushion. He criticized another designer for being “nasty” and “rude.” 

Crosse Has A History Of Speaking Out

Crosse is an international model regarded by many as one of the first plus-size supermodels. She walks runways for major designers committed to size inclusion including, Renee Cafaro and Chuks Collins. 

Crosse has been a vocal advocate for body positivity throughout her modeling and acting careers. She shared how she felt about the look she was wearing.

She noted that the backlash connected to the reception of the dress might have been connected to her breasts not being surgically augmented. According to a 2022 report from The Aesthetic Society,  breast procedures such as breast augmentation, augmentation/ breast lift and breast lift/reductions were up 48%.” The same report revealed that Americans spent “​​$14.6 billion dollars on aesthetic procedures in 2021. Boob jobs are becoming so common that celebrities like Kylie Jenner are sharing the amount of CCs in their implants openly. 

Roach expanded on his comments during the judging panel. He clarified that he was focused on the fit, not the body of the model. “I have clients of all different sizes, ages, and one thing you have to care about is the placement of the breasts. You could have done something to lift the breasts a little bit more. If you’re gonna say that you want to make a curvy girl feel beautiful and powerful and all those things then you have to do it in your designs.”