A familiar face to Twin Cities drag fans is returning to reality TV competition.
Ethan Mundt, who performs as Utica Queen, is one of 12 contestants competing on the upcoming 21st season of “Project Runway,” which debuts July 31 on Freeform, Hulu and Disney+.
Minnesota native and Hamline graduate Ethan Mundt, whose drag name is Utica Queen, is a contestant on the upcoming 21st season of “Project Runway,” which debuts July 31, 2025 on Freeform, Hulu and Disney+. (Heidi Gutman / Disney)
“Walking into the ‘Project Runway’ workroom felt like stepping into a dream, but even more surreal was walking in wearing something that carries the spirit of Drag with me,” Mundt wrote on Instagram. “This is for every artist who dares to blur the lines, stitch the seams between worlds, and wear their truth like armor.”
Mundt made his television debut in 2021, when he placed sixth on the 13th season of “RuPaul’s Drag Race.” He earned praise on the show for the intricate costumes he created for himself. In the years since, Mundt has designed looks for numerous “Drag Race” contestants and judges.
Mundt took his drag name from his hometown of Utica, located about two hours southeast of St. Paul. “It’s a tiny, tiny town of 291 people,” he said during a January 2019 interview with the Pioneer Press. “We don’t even have a school or a gas station, but we do have four bars. And one gay who escaped.”
He first tried his hand at drag in kindergarten, when he dressed as Mary Poppins for Halloween. In high school, he joined a teenage improv troupe in Rochester that did a drag scene at the end of every show. After high school, Mundt went on to earn a double major in fine art and theater production from Hamline University: “I basically went to school to become a drag queen and it’s awesome.”
Mundt started doing shows as an amateur while studying at Hamline and eventually befriended some veteran queens who helped him refine his approach and look. He got more serious about drag after he graduated in 2017. He had firmly established himself in the Twin Cities when he relocated to Chicago as his season of “Drag Race” was airing.
“Project Runway” producers have rebooted the show, which debuted on Bravo in 2004, moved to Lifetime in 2009 and returned to Bravo in 2019. Original host and judge Heidi Klum, who left “Project Runway” after its stint on Lifetime, has returned to the show and will be joined by judges Nina Garcia and Law Roach. Fourth season winner Christian Siriano will return as the contestants’ mentor.
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