Nina Garcia appears on Bravos show Project Runway. (Photo: Bravo)

Best known for her long-running tenure as the fashion director at Elle fashion magazine (a publication also known for Garcia's regular column, "Fashionina"), Colombian-born Nina Garcia deftly parlayed her knowledge and influence from that post into a successful secondary career as a reality television star. She did so as one of the judges (opposite supermodel Heidi Klum and fashion mogul Michael Kors) on the Bravo cable channel's program Project Runway. Garcia signed on with the program from its inception and remained with it for multiple seasons. Prior to working at Elle, Garcia worked in the PR departments of fashion labels Marc Jacobs and Perry Ellis, then held positions as market editor and assistant stylist at Mirabella magazine before ascending to her post at Elle. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide