Michelle Lesniak Franklin is a designer from Portland who
won Project Runway season 11. She first took interest in the world of fashion during high school when she reconstructed vintage clothing to fit her needs and quirkiness. She then studied printmaking/fine art in college as well as pattern making and draping at her her local community college.
Aside from designing clothes, she also works part-time at a local design boutique called Garnish Apparel. Prior to joining Project Runway, she served the Oregon wine industry for 10 years, working as a tasting room manager, assistant winemaker, enologist, wine educator and grape taster.