The 30-year-old Ben Chmura is a designer who hails from South Meriden, CT. Having dreamt of being involved in the world of fashion, he took up a BFA in Fashion Design from Savannah College of Art and Design and earned his degree years after. During his junior year of college, a professor from Paris encouraged him to believe in himself. This led him to follow his gut and pursue a career in design.

Since then, Ben Chmura has freelanced for Express Men's, Club Monaco, Ralph Lauren, TSE cashmere and American Eagle. His years were well-spent, having received awards for his work. Some of them are Creative Loafing's Best of the Bay award in Tampa for Best Local Clothing Designer in 2007.

This outgoing but reserved individual is also a sci-fi fan, who tried to audition for Project Runway three times. He didn’t initially want to do it, but his husband convinced him and he agreed. This earned him a spot on the seventh season of the reality TV competition, set in New York. He became one of the 16 designers vying for the top prize and the chance to launch their careers in the fashion industry. He was, however, eliminated in the eighth episode.