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“Project Runway” season 21 will premiere on Freeform Thursday night. The reality competition features 12 contestants who compete through a series of fashion design challenges. And this season, you’ll see a Minnesotan on your screen.  

Ethan Mundt is from a small town outside Rochester and studied theatre production and art at Hamline University. He is no stranger to the TV screen. He competed on “RuPaul’s Drag Race” as Utica Queen. Mundt spoke with Minnesota Now senior producer Aleesa Kuznetsov to talk about his experience on the show.

The following conversation has been edited for length and clarity. Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.

At what age did you start designing and making clothes?

I started off as a cosplayer way back in high school and loved it. I loved making the fantasy. I loved becoming something else. And so then when I got into the world of drag I was like, oh, it's the same thing. It's creating that fantasy and creating this like creature that people can be taken out of this world for a couple minutes and into mine. 

But I didn't get the validation of that I could really make stuff until I was on “Drag Race” when they were like, you've got this eye. And so then ever since “Drag Race,” I've been making stuff, making stuff for the girls, making stuff for me, making like stuff for my local icons. And it's been such a reward to be able to go on the fashion design TV show of the world, from the queer TV show of the world. So, like, I'm gagged.

What is the origin of your drag name Utica?

I am from rural hodunk Utica. Utica, Minnesota. It's a tiny little farm town Minnesota, and when I was getting into creating this, this creature, I thought, okay, where is she from? What is her origin story? And I grew up in a place that was so loving and so kind and so I wanted to bring them with me on the journey. Hence the name Utica.

She is the brand. She is the queen that I've created. She's the entertainer. She's the hands that make everything. So my entity as a designer kind of mixes in between the two, both Utica, the creature I've created, and also Ethan, the hands that are the designer.

Did growing up in Utica influence the direction of your career. Is there any, Minnesota influence in your design? Flannel?

I grew up on a farm, so I have that kind of “home spun, hard-work-makes-good-craft” kind of energy with my work. I grew up relatively religious, so I have a lot of holy iconography in my work, very grand. I always had to use my imagination to go beyond the expanse of the farmland. So a lot of my work has this, like, ethereal, kind of alien, kind of other worldly charm to it. Because growing up my whole M.O. was escapism. And how can I make something magical about this space that I’m locked in?

Do you feel like you had a leg up going into ‘Project Runway’ because you had been on ‘Drag Race?’

Oh, absolutely. There was such a sense of ease going on “Project Runway.” “Drag Race” is its own beast of a show. You have to do everything. You have to be the full, well-rounded entertainer that you are as a queen. Sing, dance, act - you have to do everything. You have to be the brand. But “Project Runway” is also very similar. You are embodying the brand and you're creating with your hands to create the pieces that are on the show. So the high stakes and the cuckoo bananas, the crazy that is drag race, I think, really translated over to “Project Runway.”

What are you most proud of about your time on ‘Project Runway?’

I made it. I think that I'm most proud of just making this choice of doing this show. I think the most important part is like, this is going to really open up the doors to the drag community. You know, I am going to be the first ever “RuPaul's Drag Race” queen on “Project Runway.” That's crazy. I cannot believe that this has not happened before. 

Just that jump alone, I think is really special and it's really going to let the queens be seen in such a way and, show that we're not just, you know, artists on the stage and in the green rooms, like, you know, we're artists that can be in the mainstream and prove that drag inspires fashion.

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Ethan Mundt grew up the small town of Utica, about 26 miles east of Rochester. He competed on season 13 of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” as Utica Queen. And now he’ll be one of 12 contestants competing on season 21 of “Project Runway.”

Ethan Mundt grew up the small town of Utica, Minn. about 26 miles east of Rochester. He competed on season 13 of "RuPaul’s Drag Race" as Utica Queen. And now he’ll be one of 12 contestants competing on season 21 of "Project Runway."

Minnesota native, ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ alum to compete on ‘Project Runway’

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