Rihanna News: Style Network Reveals STYLED TO ROCK Contestants

Style Media reveals the 12 designers who will compete to become America’s next trendsetting designer on “Styled to Rock” from executive producer Robyn Rihanna Fenty. The hopeful contestants will be whittled down week by week, until only two remain for a finale showcase. The stakes are high as each week they will be tasked with designing for some of the biggest names in entertainment. The winning contestant who pushes the creative envelope and proves that they have the trendsetting vision fit for a star will receive a $100,000 cash prize, a fashion feature in Glamour magazine and the chance to become the next member of Rihanna’s design team. The new series, featuring mentors Pharrell Williams, Erin Wasson and Rihanna’s stylist Mel Ottenberg, will premiere Tuesday,

November 5 at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT on Style.

The competing designers are:

Cecilia Aragon (Age: 30)– San Francisco, Calif.– Art and design instructor Cecilia Aragon is finally taking her own advice and following her dreams of solely working on her own clothing line. A consummate perfectionist, Aragon even has a different pair of scissors for each kind of material she uses. She credits Madonna and designer Jean Paul Gaultier as inspirations for her design aesthetic.

Adam Christoffel (Age: 30)–Brooklyn, N.Y.– Minneapolis native Adam Christoffel discovered his love for styling at a young age. Since then, Christoffel has immersed himself in all things fashion. He graduated from the International Academy of Design & Technology and currently works as a freelance pattern maker. Christoffel is looking forward to the day when he can quit his day job and focus on his own line.

Jordan Crowson (Age: 32) –Conway, Ark.– Women’s wear designer Jordan Crowson undoubtedly has an intense love for both music and fashion. He believes his couture designs could stand up to any of the designs at Fashion Week in New York, but he hasn’t had the financial means to break into the industry. Crowson credits his traditional Christian family for keeping him grounded and counts his father as his biggest supporter and best friend.

Adriana Diaz (Age: 22) –Riverside, Calif.–High-fashion street wear designer Adriana Diaz always has had a penchant for style, teaching herself how to sew at age eight. Diaz credits her daughter Adalie, whom she had when she was 17 years old, as her biggest inspiration and the driving force behind her determination to accomplish her dreams. Her design influences come from the Jamaican culture and street graffiti, and she longs to create universal high-fashion street wear.

Autumn Kietponglert (Age: 33)–Philadelphia, Pa.– Unapologetic designer Autumn Kietponglert has never concerned herself with what others think of her and cares more about following her artistic vision with her avant-garde designs than getting along with her fellow designers. Kietponglert says that her best design inspirations come from her dreams, which are detailed visions of the unseen world. Adept to more complex designs, her talents were recognized when she received the RAW Artist of the Year for Fashion Design in 2012.

Laura Petrielli-Pulice (Age: 35)– Chicago, Ill.– When she’s not spending time with her family, baking and making crafts, seemingly typical housewife and mother Laura Petrielli-Pulice designs latex fetish wear for her brand, Vex Clothing, Inc. After graduating with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Lingerie from the Fashion Institute of Technology, she went on to create looks that have been featured in W Magazine and Italian Vogue. Despite her success in the world of latex, Petrielli-Pulice is ready to break out into mainstream fashion markets to prove that she can do more than custom fetish wear. The trend of wearing latex is rapidly growing, with many people choosing to wear it both in and out of the bedroom. For example, you can now buy latex maid costumes which serve you better! Whether you like or dislike latex, there’s no denying that it’s coming back into fashion!

Kristie Metcalf (Age: 33) –Seattle, Wash.– Kristie Metcalf, a women’s wear designer, has the unique challenge of sewing and designing with only one arm, but she doesn’t allow her disability to limit her potential. A graduate of Western Washington University, Metcalf is currently finishing a certificate program in Fashion Design at the New York Fashion Academy. Her fashion philosophy – “Form and function. Clothes should be beautiful, wearable and well-made.”

Ahni Radvanyi (Age: 27) –Venice, Calif.– Ahni Radvanyi is a free spirit. Outside of her design work, she enjoys centering herself through yoga and can often be found meditating or stretching in her workspace. In an effort to rebel against her strict conservative upbringing, Radvanyi joined counter-culture movements and became a performer doing circus acrobatics, hoop dancing and fire dancing. She believes that celebrities will embrace her adaptable designs because the clothes will allow them to transform throughout the day.

Dexter Simmons (Age: 29)–Oakland, Calif.– A designer, stylist and make-up artist, Bay area native Dexter Simmons hopes to be fashion’s next triple threat. A self-professed “oddball,” Simmons loves fashion because it’s the only place where he feels his quirky personality really translates. With this experience, he is looking to break out of the San Francisco art scene and find mainstream success with his over-the-top designs.

Andre Soriano (Age: 42)–San Diego, Calif.– Born in the Philippines, Andre Soriano gravitated toward fashion as a way of expressing himself after moving to America as a child. Although he had difficulty adjusting to a new culture at such a young age, he has embraced the idea that “fashion is freedom.” A couturier, his designs have been featured in multiple publications, including Italian Vogue. Andre’s fashion mantra is “Peace, love, glamour and fashion!”

Ebony White (Age: 36)– New York, N.Y.– Women’s wear designer Ebony White is eager to bring her fashion prowess to the forefront. White has been a ghost designer for several household labels. While she appreciates the opportunities given to her by working for those labels, her ultimate goal is to create a name for herself – “I’ve been designing with no voice for so long. For me, it’s just important to be able to have that opportunity to have a voice.”

Keenan Zeno (Age: 27)–Atlanta, Ga.– After losing everything to Hurricane Katrina, Keenan Zeno moved to Atlanta with only one suitcase. Through perseverance and a drive to succeed, Zeno graduated with two bachelor’s degrees in Apparel Textiles and Business Management from Southern Polytechnic State University, and he recently received his MBA in finance. While continuing to design in his personal time, Zeno makes a living as an accountant, where most of his co-workers are unaware of his designer ambitions.

A weekly one-hour competition series, “Styled to Rock” will give 12 designers the coveted opportunity to dress some of the biggest names in entertainment. Pharrell Williams, Erin Wasson and Mel Ottenberg serve as mentors to these designers as they experience demanding real-life challenges made to push their creative boundaries. With only a limited time frame, they will need to create an innovative outfit and complete look based on the celebrities’ detailed brief. In a surprising twist, midway through the weekly competition, the mentors will decide which designs are worthy enough of the star’s attention. The designers who fail to impress at this stage will not present to the celebrity guest – and will be faced with the threat of elimination.

During the showcase, the celebrity guest will decide which designer best achieves their vision – and advances to the next level of the competition. As an added bonus for the budding designers, their winning garment will be worn by the celebrity to an upcoming high-profile event, giving the contestants the exposure that could potentially catapult their career into a household name. Later, the designers who did not present that week must then meet with the mentors to discuss where they fell short and ultimately, who will be sent home. In the end, one designer will be named the winner of “Styled to Rock.”

“Styled to Rock” is executive produced by Robyn Rihanna Fenty and is produced by Shed Media US, Overbrook Entertainment and Marcy Media Films. Nick Emmerson, Pam Healey and Dan Peirson of Shed Media US and James Lassiter of Overbook Entertainment also serve as executive producers.

Right now at StyleNetwork.com/StyledToRock, viewers can get an insider look at each designer via photos, exclusive interviews and in-depth video introductions. For updates on “Styled to Rock” visit StyleNetwork.com, follow @StyledToRock on Twitter and like “Styled to Rock” on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/StyledToRock.