Tyra Banks Turns to German Designer Kilian Kerner Once Again
Tyra Banks has been photographed in Kilian Kerner Berlin again, the designer says. Here is who he is and what he has been up to in 2026.
Credit Kilian Kerner, ABC7, Berliner Zeitung
Tyra Banks has appeared in a Kilian Kerner Berlin look again, according to the German designer's website.
Kerner's news page lists three Banks items. In one, "supermodel Tyra Banks once again stepped out in a look by Kilian Kerner Berlin." In another, she wears one of his coats "in the new season of Project Runway." A third says she appeared on Australian television in a bold pink coat from the label, and adds: "we love it!" None of the three items carries a date, and the site does not say where the newest photos were taken.
The look
In the new photos, Banks wears an oversized black leather trench with sharply built-up shoulders and a tie belt at the waist. She pairs it with forest green leather opera gloves, an olive top and a bright pop of yellow and green eye shadow. Her hair is big and curly, in honey blond tones, nearly as wide as the shoulders of the coat.
Who is Kilian Kerner?
Kerner was born in 1979 in Cologne, Germany, and began his career studying acting, according to his official site. German streaming platform Joyn reports that he has said he found design almost by accident while living in Berlin, and that he never went to fashion school.
He launched his own label in 2004, and it has shown at Berlin Fashion Week since 2008. The brand is sold in 14 countries, according to the label. He also runs a second line, Kilian Kerner Senses, which he presents on QVC.
His site lists Heidi Klum, Jennifer Lopez, Rita Ora, Gwen Stefani and Kylie Minogue among the people who have worn his designs.
A connection through Heidi Klum
German viewers know Kerner from television. Since 2021, he has been a fashion expert and guest juror next to Heidi Klum on Germany's Next Topmodel, according to Joyn. He has also worked on the Pro7 shows Beauty & The Nerd and Born Famous this year.
That puts him close to Banks. Heidi Klum and Banks are two of the best-known faces of model competition TV: Banks created America's Next Top Model, and Klum fronts the German franchise. In 2026, the two also shared the judging table on Project Runway.
Banks and Project Runway
Project Runway Season 22 premiered on Thursday, July 9, 2026, on Freeform, with episodes on Hulu and Disney+ the next day. Freeform announced in June that Banks would join as a recurring judge after a guest spot in Season 21. She later left partway through the season, after about five episodes, according to The Blast and Entertainment Now, which cited Entertainment Weekly.
The official trailer for Project Runway Season 22.
| Project Runway Season 22 | |
|---|---|
| Premiere | Thursday, July 9, 2026, on Freeform |
| Streaming | Hulu and Disney+, the next day |
| Judges | Heidi Klum, Nina Garcia, Law Roach and Tyra Banks (recurring) |
| Mentor | Christian Siriano |
| Designers | 22, the largest cast in the show's history |
| Guest judges | Ciara, Iman, Winnie Harlow, Niecy Nash and Ice Spice, among others |
| Finale | Thursday, Sept. 10, 2026; Jude Mikulencak won |
TheWrap reported that the trailer teased a "bigger, bolder and more beautiful" take on the show.
Kerner's big year
Banks' latest look lands during a busy stretch for the designer.
| When | What happened |
|---|---|
| March 2026 | Paris Fashion Week debut with a show at the Opéra Garnier |
| July 2026 | Burning Symphony collection shown in Berlin |
| Oct. 2, 2026 | One Second to the Moon presentation in Paris |
| Nov. 6, 2026 | Berliner Zeitung reports he has landed in Los Angeles |
In July, Kerner told Berliner Zeitung he would leave Berlin for at least six months and move to Los Angeles. On Nov. 6, the paper ran the headline "Driver's license at 47, fresh start in L.A."
Banks' fall
Banks' 2011 young adult novel Modelland was reissued on Nov. 3, with an audiobook narrated by Banks, according to Kirkus Reviews. She also made a surprise stop at Dutch Dreams, a Toronto ice cream shop, blogTO reported on Nov. 11.
Read more: Heidi Klum Turns Into a Giant Severed Hand for Halloween 2026
