Project Runway All-Stars kicks off January 5. Here, we refresh our memories about the designers who’ve set their sights on another shot at fashion glory.

While controversial, Kenley Collins was one of the most talented contestants of Project Runway season five. Known for her vintage aesthetic, Kenley’s staples were vibrant colors, classic cuts and fun fabrics that emphasized a romantic era. Her works were only worthy of winning one challenge, yet Kenley’s efforts saw her through all the way to the final runway.

Basic Stats
Age: 28
Hometown: Brooklyn, NY
PR Season: Five (2008)
Placement: Second Runner-up

Project Runway History
While her clothes shined on the runway, Kenley’s temper flared behind the scenes.

Piece from Kenley’s Final Runway Collection – Season 5

Giving her a sort of “hate-to-love” persona, Kenley’s over-confidence and belligerence earned negative feedback from fellow contestants and Project Runway viewers. Throughout the season, Michael Kors, Heidi Klum and even Tim Gunn held the target for her aggression.

Tim Gunn still isn’t a Kenley fan. He said this of his time as her workroom mentor (you can see the interview below): “If the audience saw and heard as much of Kenley as I did, people would have turned their televisions off. The editing is really kind to everybody, and had the editing not been very deft with her, it would have been the Kenley show. As I was making my rounds around the workroom, she’d laugh inappropriately when I was talking to someone else. She’d yell her own comments out. And on the runway during the question and answer session with the judges, she would laugh inappropriately during most of it.”

Post-Project Runway
Kenley’s life after Project Runway has been a mirror of her time spent on the show, it seems. Her attitude and anger got the best of her when, in 2009, she spent time in jail for abuse towards her fiance. She attacked him with a laptop and a cat. Yes, a household cat.

Fortunately, Kenley claims to have learned from her mistakes and has seen success from a Spring 2010 collection, entitled the “Amelia Earhart” collection. Naturally, the pieces derive from the personal style of the ill-fated pioneer.

The Amelia Dress – Spring 2010 Amelia Earhart collection

Let’s hope Kenley Collins brings some entertainment to Project Runway: All-Stars (January 5, 9pm, Lifetime), but leaves the drama — and the feline weapons — at home.

Jilliane Johnson
Contributing Writer

(Images courtesy of Bravo)

Jilliane Johnson

Contributing Writer, BuddyTV