Mychael Knight, a former fourth place finisher on Project Runway, died on Tuesday morning outside of Atlanta, Georgia.
He was 39 years old.
News of Knight’s passing was first reported by Obvious Magazine, which simply stated the following a short while ago:
American Fashion Designer, and Project Runway alum, Mychael Knight has passed away. He was 39 years old.
Mychael died at 7:25 am EST outside of Atlanta, GA on October 17, 2017, surrounded by his loving family and friends.
His family asks that their privacy is respected during this time of grieving.
No cause of death has been announced.
“We are still processing the untimely death of our son, brother, friend, and uncle,” said his family in a statement to the publication.
“Mychael meant everything to us and we loved him dearly. He was generous and so full of life. This is how we choose to remember his legacy.”
Knight competed on Project Runway in 2006.
The popular contestant, who won the Fan Favorite Award, went on to launch his clothing line in 2007, as well as design for Starbucks.
A year later, he launched a female and male lingerie label known as “Kitty & Dick” and his unisex fragrance, “MajK.”
According to TMZ, he had recently checked into a hospital for treatment for intestinal issues
Knight returned to Project Runway numerous times over the years, competing in a 2009 All-Star Challenge, for example as well as joining the All Stars spin-off in 2013.
Wrote Andy Cohen, who was an executive at the network when Project Runway launched, in response to this untimely death:
“I am so sad to hear about Mychael Knight. When he appeared on #ProjectRunway he was the sweetest guy, full of life, ambition & talent. #rip.”
Knight was born in Germany on April 11, 1978.
He then divided his childhood between Alabama and New York, studying Apparel Design and Merchandising at Georgia Southern University, from where he graduated in 2001.
As we await word on the cause of his death, it’s worth noting that Knight did tell social media followers his immune system had been damaged as a result of Irritable Bowel Syndrome:
We’ll update this story as more news breaks.
We send our condolences to the friends, family members and loved ones of Mychael Knight.
May he rest in peace.
