## What happened: The "Battle of the Seasons" trash-bag controversy **The incident.** In episode 7 of *Project Runway* season 22, titled "Battle of the Seasons" (aired Aug. 20, 2026), the remaining seven Season 22 designers faced six returning Season 21 designers in an unconventional-materials challenge using discarded tech (wires, keyboards, cassette tapes, motherboards) from a recycling warehouse. Designer **Bryan Barrientos** — who had immunity from a prior win — initially planned a bubble-wrap dress, but mentor Christian Siriano pushed him to use actual tech. He pivoted to a dress of heavy electrical cords and, ultimately, a garbage bag. **The model's account.** Plus-size model **Liris Crosse** (47), the first plus-size model to win the show's modeling competition, said her "spirit was broken." In a YouTube video (uploaded Aug. 24) and an Instagram post, she detailed that Barrientos asked her to walk in just her bra and underwear with wires hanging over her; when she refused, he taped a garbage bag onto her body — a bag she later realized was the same one he'd had on the floor while spray-painting cords. She called it "thoughtless," "careless," and "lazy," and said Barrientos never contacted her afterward. Judges Nina Garcia and guest judge Iman both criticized the look, noting Crosse looked unhappy/"miserable." The episode ended on a cliffhanger before the winner was revealed, though Barrientos was believed safe due to immunity. ## Why it matters - **Treatment of models / body representation.** Crosse is a trailblazing plus-size model on the show, and the incident reignited fan outrage (the hashtag #JusticeForLiris trended in comments) about designers failing to dress her properly. Commenters on her Instagram called for Barrientos's immunity to be stripped and for Crosse to be made a judge. - **Production ethics.** Crosse's account — that she was nearly sent out in her underwear and then taped into a floor garbage bag — raises questions about model welfare and consent on set, and about whether the show's editing omitted her "personal breakdown in the workroom" and why she wasn't at the judges' panel. - **Show quality criticism.** Multiple recaps noted the season's reliance on cliffhangers, influencer cameos, and recycled "unconventional materials" challenges as signs of budget cuts and declining production quality. ## Strongest sources (all opened and verified) - **PEOPLE** (primary reporting, with direct quotes from Crosse's video): ['Project Runway' Model Recalls Designer Dressing Her in a Dirty Trash Bag](https://people.com/project-runway-model-recalls-designer-dressing-her-in-a-dirty-trash-bag-12068138) - **Liris Crosse's own Instagram post** (her framing + fan reaction): [lirisc on Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/p/DcT4Bg8CW7m/) - **Reality Blurred recap** (independent episode recap confirming the tape incident and judges' reaction): [Project Runway 22 episode 7 recap: bygone era tech war](https://www.realityblurred.com/realitytv/2026/08/project-runway-season-22-episode-7-battle-seasons-recap/) - **Primetimer recap** (episode structure, immunity, cliffhanger, and the "character assassination" backstage fight): [Project Runway season 22 episode 7 recap](https://www.primetimer.com/features/project-runway-season-22-episode-7-season-21-designers-return-as-the-unconventional-materials-challenge-ends-in-a-cliffhanger) - **Vulture recap** (context on the challenge and Bryan's immunity): [Project Runway Recap: Tech Test](https://www.vulture.com/article/project-runway-recap-season-22-episode-7-hulu.html) Note: The YouTube video itself (youtube.com/watch?v=EIwIujiJ34I) did not load its content in my browser, so I relied on PEOPLE's direct quotes from it plus Crosse's Instagram post. As of the PEOPLE article's publication (Aug. 25, 2026), neither Crosse, Barrientos, nor the show had publicly responded to requests for comment.