Project Runway is back for season 21!

Following her 2018 exit after hosting the fashion competition shows for 16 seasons, Heidi Klum is making her grand entrance for her return. 

PEOPLE has the exclusive first look of the beloved Freeform series, which shows the trailer beginning with an upbeat song with the perfect lyrics: “Look who’s back!” 

Klum, 52, enthusiastically pops out on stage wearing an elaborate structured, strapless black gown with Project Runway alum and designer Christian Siriano also surprising this season’s contestants with the German-American model. 

The group of hopefuls go wild at the sight.

Siriano, 39, won the fourth season of the design competition show, and will serve as a mentor to the contestants.

“Now that’s an entrance,” he says in the preview, referring to Klum, who is beaming beside him.

“I’ll see you all on the runway. Let’s start the show!” she says.

Next up, Klum announces the season 21 judges, which include editor-in-chief of Elle magazine, Nina Garcia and “image architect” Law Roach. 

“You ready?” he asks the eager group. 

“This is truly a magical place where dreams do come true,” Klum says over a montage of the contestants beginning their Project Runway journey. 

Newbie Ethan Mundt adds, “I’m about to transform this competition. I wanna make history.” Meanwhile, Belania Daley describes herself as “truly a pit bull in a skirt.”

Siriano steps in with a list of things all designs should convey: “Gotta look expensive, fabulous, new, modern.”

He also lets one budding designer know that her piece is “a grandma skirt.”

“And I love my grandma, but no,” he says.

Pressure mounds as each individual tries to go from contestant to Project Runway champion, with tears and bickering along the way. 

“I hated it,” Roach says during one judging session. When Klum reminds him that “hate is such a big word,” he replies, “It’s a short word. It’s only four letters.”

However, he seems to mean well.

“We are all here doing this job because we care about the next generation of designers,” Roach says over another montage of the contestants working on their pieces and embracing one another.

Klum announces new rules, while Garcia warns of one contestant’s attitude. 

“Love tears, they feed me,” Roach adds.

Celebrity guest judges Sofia Vergara. Nikki Glaser, Tyra Banks, Jenna Lyons, Michael Kors, Zac Posen also join the mix this year as well as Abbott Elementary stars Chris Perfetti and Lisa Ann Walter who will be making an appearance to kick off one of the challenges. There are even horses and some pyrotechnics on the runway!

PEOPLE caught up with Klum at the 2025 American Music Awards in May where she shared her feelings on returning to the show.

“I can do it with my eyes closed, even though I'm judging clothes, so I have to have my eyes open, but I can do it with my eyes closed,” Klum told PEOPLE. “I just love fashion so much, and I love how interested they are and how they're champing at the bit to get a spot in the fashion industry. So, it's so fun to give them a platform to show what they can do.”

Project Runway season 21 premieres July 31 with a special two-episode premiere at 9:00p.m. EST on Freeform and available to stream on Hulu and Disney+.